of these two things:
First, law enforcement officials in Missouri attempt to trash the 1st Amendment, and the Governor tells them exactly what he thinks:
“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
It's not the tar and feathers these bastards deserve, but it's a start. I wonder if the Governor has the state authorities investigating them for violations of law and abuse of authority? Maybe a few indictments would get the message across.
Second, Chris Countrywide Dodd(Sleaze-Should Be Hanged) is trying to use the bailout to buy more credit for himself and his dirtbag friends:
Much of the blogosphere is up in arms because of the provision in Senator Dodd’s financial bailout bill that might funnel profits from the bailout plan to ACORN Housing (related to the disreputable activist group ACORN), and other more reputable service organizations.
I have read Dodd’s proposed statute and in some respects, it is far worse than has been reported. Senator Dodd has placed a loophole in the bill that is explicitly designed to siphon off tens or hundreds of billions of dollars to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund even if there are no net profits in the $700 billion venture.
Every time this jerk opens his mouth, someone should stand up and say 'COUNTRYWIDE'. And then drag him away from the podium and kick him somewhere appropriate.
As to the dirtbags outside of Congress associated with the crookedness, Theo has a message for them. I would add, "After your buttmonkey senators and reps have been handcuffed to you."
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Andrew Rice is running for Senate, and he's kind of ticked off
Sen. Coburn:
“Andrew Rice has neither the experience nor the ideas to address our nation’s financial crisis. Nor does he have any basis for associating his liberal agenda with my record of limiting the growth of government. His attempt to associate his agenda with mine in the context of a partisan attack against Jim Inhofe is personally offensive to me and an affront to Oklahoma voters,” Coburn said.
“Senator Jim Inhofe, unlike Andrew Rice, has a record of keeping taxes low and government limited. Had Washington politicians followed Jim Inhofe’s conservative philosophy we would be in much more secure position today. Andrew Rice, on the other hand, would empower Senate liberals who want to increase taxes, orchestrate a government takeover of health care and pass on crushing debt to future generations,” Coburn said.
“Finally, it’s absurd that Andrew Rice now wants to associate his views with mine when he actively worked to elect Brad Carson in 2004. In fact, Rice was part of Carson’s left-wing political base and was offended that Carson wouldn’t proudly identify himself as a liberal. Rice was a liberal then and he’s a liberal now. He should campaign on his true convictions, not try to hide his views behind baseless partisan attacks,” Coburn said.
Problem is, if Rice were honest his posters would say "Rice: Socialist for Senate" and he knows that wouldn't go over well with most people.
“Andrew Rice has neither the experience nor the ideas to address our nation’s financial crisis. Nor does he have any basis for associating his liberal agenda with my record of limiting the growth of government. His attempt to associate his agenda with mine in the context of a partisan attack against Jim Inhofe is personally offensive to me and an affront to Oklahoma voters,” Coburn said.
“Senator Jim Inhofe, unlike Andrew Rice, has a record of keeping taxes low and government limited. Had Washington politicians followed Jim Inhofe’s conservative philosophy we would be in much more secure position today. Andrew Rice, on the other hand, would empower Senate liberals who want to increase taxes, orchestrate a government takeover of health care and pass on crushing debt to future generations,” Coburn said.
“Finally, it’s absurd that Andrew Rice now wants to associate his views with mine when he actively worked to elect Brad Carson in 2004. In fact, Rice was part of Carson’s left-wing political base and was offended that Carson wouldn’t proudly identify himself as a liberal. Rice was a liberal then and he’s a liberal now. He should campaign on his true convictions, not try to hide his views behind baseless partisan attacks,” Coburn said.
Problem is, if Rice were honest his posters would say "Rice: Socialist for Senate" and he knows that wouldn't go over well with most people.
oh, I just love it! Murtha's gonna have a spasm
At least I can hope so:
One of the Marines cleared in the killings of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha plans to sue his congressman today for statements he says defamed him and other members of his squad.
Former Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, will file a civil lawsuit against U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, who was widely quoted two years ago saying that eight Marines carried out a cold-blooded killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town on Nov. 19, 2005.
Charges were later dropped against all but one of the Marines, with a military prosecutor calling allegations against Mr. Sharratt "incredible."
Let the roasting begin!
One of the Marines cleared in the killings of Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha plans to sue his congressman today for statements he says defamed him and other members of his squad.
Former Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, 24, of Canonsburg, will file a civil lawsuit against U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, who was widely quoted two years ago saying that eight Marines carried out a cold-blooded killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town on Nov. 19, 2005.
Charges were later dropped against all but one of the Marines, with a military prosecutor calling allegations against Mr. Sharratt "incredible."
Let the roasting begin!
Facing the reality
The other day the gentleman with the handbasket pointed to this post at TJIC(where I had not been before), and had this one himself. Both reminded me of something.
We all know people who, for whatever reason, either don’t like guns or refuse the idea of using violence for any purpose, including defense of self or others. Years back, when I was still messing with the SCA*, I ran into another level of – not quite sure what to call it. It generally manifested itself in someone who had no problem keeping a big knife, a sword or an axe by the bed, but was horrified or disgusted at the thought of keeping a gun there.
Now, this was not due to a simple dislike of violence: they announced they were quite willing to use the above noted implements of mayhem on an evildoer, they just did not like firearms(how they thought slicing somebody open or sliding a couple of feet of steel through their guts was morally superior to shooting them, I don’t know). Ok, you make your choices and take your chances. But there was a subgroup that had drunk the ‘honorable combat’ kool-aid and believed it: it wasn’t ‘honorable’ to use a gun on someone.
“A real man would face attackers with his bare hands.”
“What if there are three of them? With knives or guns?”
“You could take them - that would be heroic!”
Etc.
I’m happy to report that I’d never bought into that crap; the concept of worrying about ‘honorably’ fighting someone who broke into my home and threatened me and my family just did not make sense(still doesn’t). But you had them. I suspect that, in many cases, they’d never truly considered having to face an attack, and keeping the old-style weaponry handy was their “See, I’m ready!” to pretend they had; heroic daydreams of fighting off multiple attackers and all.
There was a third group, who directly crossed with people who’ll keep a baseball bat handy but nothing edged or noisy. Their bat was a wooden practice sword. They at least faced squarely the question of “What do I do if someone breaks in?”, though I disagree with their choice: I want something that gives me enough reach to stay out of the reach of the bad guy(getting into contact range is a Bad Thing), and doesn’t depend on having a fair amount of room to swing. I used to have a D&D button that said ‘Constructive Coward’: I have no desire to take chances on receiving further damage to my somewhat worn body by doing something stupid. Like going hand-to-hand with some clown- let alone more than one- who breaks into my home. Or attacks me in a parking lot. And if I have a girlfriend or family to protect, there is no damn way I’m going to play games.
You know, this 'be prepared for the problem' stuff is wearing, and it can be hard. Considering what you'll do should someone come in the door or window at night, or out from behind a car, or be waiting outside the doors of a restaurant... it's not exactly fun to consider; it can be downright nasty. Not exactly something you want to spend your thoughts on. But if you don't, and it does happen... I've known people who deal with this reality by ignoring it as much as possible, but I can't do that. I'm not Ghost, it's just that I'd rather deal with the nasty thoughts on bad possibilities than consider finding myself with the situation gone to hell and I'd never bothered to think about 'what if?'.
* Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval history study group that includes, for those interested combat with rattan weapons. Yes, I used to do this, and hit people with sticks.
We all know people who, for whatever reason, either don’t like guns or refuse the idea of using violence for any purpose, including defense of self or others. Years back, when I was still messing with the SCA*, I ran into another level of – not quite sure what to call it. It generally manifested itself in someone who had no problem keeping a big knife, a sword or an axe by the bed, but was horrified or disgusted at the thought of keeping a gun there.
Now, this was not due to a simple dislike of violence: they announced they were quite willing to use the above noted implements of mayhem on an evildoer, they just did not like firearms(how they thought slicing somebody open or sliding a couple of feet of steel through their guts was morally superior to shooting them, I don’t know). Ok, you make your choices and take your chances. But there was a subgroup that had drunk the ‘honorable combat’ kool-aid and believed it: it wasn’t ‘honorable’ to use a gun on someone.
“A real man would face attackers with his bare hands.”
“What if there are three of them? With knives or guns?”
“You could take them - that would be heroic!”
Etc.
I’m happy to report that I’d never bought into that crap; the concept of worrying about ‘honorably’ fighting someone who broke into my home and threatened me and my family just did not make sense(still doesn’t). But you had them. I suspect that, in many cases, they’d never truly considered having to face an attack, and keeping the old-style weaponry handy was their “See, I’m ready!” to pretend they had; heroic daydreams of fighting off multiple attackers and all.
There was a third group, who directly crossed with people who’ll keep a baseball bat handy but nothing edged or noisy. Their bat was a wooden practice sword. They at least faced squarely the question of “What do I do if someone breaks in?”, though I disagree with their choice: I want something that gives me enough reach to stay out of the reach of the bad guy(getting into contact range is a Bad Thing), and doesn’t depend on having a fair amount of room to swing. I used to have a D&D button that said ‘Constructive Coward’: I have no desire to take chances on receiving further damage to my somewhat worn body by doing something stupid. Like going hand-to-hand with some clown- let alone more than one- who breaks into my home. Or attacks me in a parking lot. And if I have a girlfriend or family to protect, there is no damn way I’m going to play games.
You know, this 'be prepared for the problem' stuff is wearing, and it can be hard. Considering what you'll do should someone come in the door or window at night, or out from behind a car, or be waiting outside the doors of a restaurant... it's not exactly fun to consider; it can be downright nasty. Not exactly something you want to spend your thoughts on. But if you don't, and it does happen... I've known people who deal with this reality by ignoring it as much as possible, but I can't do that. I'm not Ghost, it's just that I'd rather deal with the nasty thoughts on bad possibilities than consider finding myself with the situation gone to hell and I'd never bothered to think about 'what if?'.
* Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval history study group that includes, for those interested combat with rattan weapons. Yes, I used to do this, and hit people with sticks.
If this info is true, it wasn't just a botched drug raid
that got an officer killed: it was a setup by corrupt cops.
Frederick has said in interviews and in letters to his family that he was awoken by his dogs barking at the intruders, then heard the sound of someone breaking down his front door. He says he grabbed his handgun and ran to his living room, where he saw that the bottom panel of his door and been busted out and saw someone reaching up through the broken panel toward the door handle. Frederick says that's when he fired, striking and killing Det. Jarrod Shivers. Police and prosecutors counter that Frederick fired through the door, hitting Det. Shivers as he was standing on Frederick's front lawn. Police say they announced themselves before attempting to enter Frederick's home. Frederick and at least two neighbors say they heard no announcement.
...
When I spoke with Turnbull in June at the Chesapeake Jail, he confirmed that he and Steven had been working for the police as paid informants for several months and that Steven had cut a deal with the police after being arrested for credit card theft—they'd drop the charges if he brought them evidence of a major marijuana operation. He confirmed that he and Steven then broke into Ryan Frederick's home and stole the alleged marijuana plants the police then used as probable cause to obtain the search warrant that led to the fatal raid. Turnbull was hesitant to confirm the more serious allegations he had made to Hopkins in February—that the police were actually encouraging these illegal break-ins—explaining that his lawyer had advised him to stop taking and that he feared the police would retaliate if he kept talking. "I don't want to get into any more trouble," he said.
Isn't that just damn wonderful? Gets even better:
Last week, the Virginian-Pilot finally reported on Turnbull's conversations with Hopkins from last February, explaining that Turnbull's allegations seem to be confirmed by new revelations from special prosecutor Paul Ebert at a pretrial hearing earlier this month. Referring to the break-in at Frederick's home, the Pilot reported:
If indeed true, then the people involved need to be dealt with. This is friggin' awful.
Frederick has said in interviews and in letters to his family that he was awoken by his dogs barking at the intruders, then heard the sound of someone breaking down his front door. He says he grabbed his handgun and ran to his living room, where he saw that the bottom panel of his door and been busted out and saw someone reaching up through the broken panel toward the door handle. Frederick says that's when he fired, striking and killing Det. Jarrod Shivers. Police and prosecutors counter that Frederick fired through the door, hitting Det. Shivers as he was standing on Frederick's front lawn. Police say they announced themselves before attempting to enter Frederick's home. Frederick and at least two neighbors say they heard no announcement.
...
When I spoke with Turnbull in June at the Chesapeake Jail, he confirmed that he and Steven had been working for the police as paid informants for several months and that Steven had cut a deal with the police after being arrested for credit card theft—they'd drop the charges if he brought them evidence of a major marijuana operation. He confirmed that he and Steven then broke into Ryan Frederick's home and stole the alleged marijuana plants the police then used as probable cause to obtain the search warrant that led to the fatal raid. Turnbull was hesitant to confirm the more serious allegations he had made to Hopkins in February—that the police were actually encouraging these illegal break-ins—explaining that his lawyer had advised him to stop taking and that he feared the police would retaliate if he kept talking. "I don't want to get into any more trouble," he said.
Isn't that just damn wonderful? Gets even better:
Last week, the Virginian-Pilot finally reported on Turnbull's conversations with Hopkins from last February, explaining that Turnbull's allegations seem to be confirmed by new revelations from special prosecutor Paul Ebert at a pretrial hearing earlier this month. Referring to the break-in at Frederick's home, the Pilot reported:
Turnbull said he and an accomplice didn't worry about breaking into Frederick's garage because police assured them they would be protected.
"The dude said he was going to look out for us, so let's go do it," he said.
[...]
Turnbull said he met with Shivers once and talked with him on the phone on other occasions. During a meeting at a 7-Eleven store near the intersection of Battlefield Boulevard and Cedar Road in Chesapeake, Shivers introduced himself.
"He told me what to look for. He said, if you know of any burglaries or anything, let Steven know... He said no evidence, no pay... He said if you know where it is, go get it.
If indeed true, then the people involved need to be dealt with. This is friggin' awful.
So Barack Don't Tell People Inconvenient Facts About Me
Obama has moved to "I'll threaten your license if you allow ads I don't like."
When a politician makes threats like this in response to ads, that's as big a warning as can be about how he'd rule. And I do mean 'rule'. And as to the claims of falsehoods...
When a politician makes threats like this in response to ads, that's as big a warning as can be about how he'd rule. And I do mean 'rule'. And as to the claims of falsehoods...
Thursday, September 25, 2008
It seems shooting someone's dog because it scares you
has a price. From the comments on the latest police/dog atrocity, it seems the PD is getting some rather, ah, pointed criticism. Some of it "How could he do that?" and a lot of "What kind of cretins ARE you?!?", and they're feeling the heat. As they damn well should. I mean, this has to be one of the finest examples of dumbass I've heard of in a while.
They get a report of an aggressive dog, and instead of handing it off to animal control, an officer goes out. Instead of taking a look and reporting to the ac people, moron in uniform takes his shotgun and goes to the fence. Dog, as dogs generally do when a stranger with a bad attitude comes to their territory, barked and growled at him. Whereupon Officer Moron shoots the dog. And then acts downright nasty toward the owner and anyone else who dared to question his actions. Whereupon(how often do I get to use that word? Let alone twice? In one post?) the Chief informs the public that the growling dog behind the fence made Officer Moron feel threatened and it's his right(the word Moron used) to shoot the dog. Is there any way a half-intelligent human could NOT expect to catch hell for this nonsense?
I can't decide if the chief was doing the reflexive "We can do no wrong" defense of Moron, or if he actually didn't understand that one of his subordinates had both acted unnecessarily and followed that by committing a truly stupid act. Either way, it was dumb. I mean, really dumb. As someone recently put it, if the police refuse to act as peace officers and pay attention to Sir Robert's Principles, then one of the tools the public can use is the budget: "Well, Chief, if things are so under control that Officer Moron can take time from his day to check out a dog in a yard and shoot it for barking at him, then obviously you don't need the whole of that budget and we can give the taxpayers a bit of a refund, can't we?", and if someone doesn't bring this up to the COP or the mayor I'll be surprised. Actually, it ought to be used a lot more often. "Commissioner, if the SWAT team is needed so little that they have time to go out kicking doors and shooting dogs on tips that haven't even been investigated, or where nobody could be bothered to check the phone book or something to make sure they had the right address, then we can cut the funding for it. After all, all that armor and all those weapons and the stylish masks cost an awful lot, and if they're not really needed..."
Was talking with my daughter about this(among other bullcrap that's been going on), and she said this:
Yeah. I'm so sad about that, too. My default setting on attitude towards police is respect, and while I will always treat officers with respect, it's starting to skew a little towards 'respect because I'm scared not to' instead of 'because you deserve it.' Which sucks. And has to make life so much harder for all of the good cops out there whose reputations are tarnished by the existance of people like the ones in all these stories.
This is from a girl who grew up around LE. When she has developed this attitude, LE has a big problem. And if LE doesn't deal with it, seriously and soon, it's going to get far worse.
They get a report of an aggressive dog, and instead of handing it off to animal control, an officer goes out. Instead of taking a look and reporting to the ac people, moron in uniform takes his shotgun and goes to the fence. Dog, as dogs generally do when a stranger with a bad attitude comes to their territory, barked and growled at him. Whereupon Officer Moron shoots the dog. And then acts downright nasty toward the owner and anyone else who dared to question his actions. Whereupon(how often do I get to use that word? Let alone twice? In one post?) the Chief informs the public that the growling dog behind the fence made Officer Moron feel threatened and it's his right(the word Moron used) to shoot the dog. Is there any way a half-intelligent human could NOT expect to catch hell for this nonsense?
I can't decide if the chief was doing the reflexive "We can do no wrong" defense of Moron, or if he actually didn't understand that one of his subordinates had both acted unnecessarily and followed that by committing a truly stupid act. Either way, it was dumb. I mean, really dumb. As someone recently put it, if the police refuse to act as peace officers and pay attention to Sir Robert's Principles, then one of the tools the public can use is the budget: "Well, Chief, if things are so under control that Officer Moron can take time from his day to check out a dog in a yard and shoot it for barking at him, then obviously you don't need the whole of that budget and we can give the taxpayers a bit of a refund, can't we?", and if someone doesn't bring this up to the COP or the mayor I'll be surprised. Actually, it ought to be used a lot more often. "Commissioner, if the SWAT team is needed so little that they have time to go out kicking doors and shooting dogs on tips that haven't even been investigated, or where nobody could be bothered to check the phone book or something to make sure they had the right address, then we can cut the funding for it. After all, all that armor and all those weapons and the stylish masks cost an awful lot, and if they're not really needed..."
Was talking with my daughter about this(among other bullcrap that's been going on), and she said this:
Yeah. I'm so sad about that, too. My default setting on attitude towards police is respect, and while I will always treat officers with respect, it's starting to skew a little towards 'respect because I'm scared not to' instead of 'because you deserve it.' Which sucks. And has to make life so much harder for all of the good cops out there whose reputations are tarnished by the existance of people like the ones in all these stories.
This is from a girl who grew up around LE. When she has developed this attitude, LE has a big problem. And if LE doesn't deal with it, seriously and soon, it's going to get far worse.
Health nannies in OK
Rope being oiled.
Just before I left for work yesterday there was a report on KTOK about a big 'health project to fight obesity', which wasn't a surprise; such projects happen about every other week. This one, however, included the head of the project saying "We need to look at taxes on unhealthy foods and tax breaks for healthy activities like health club memberships." That's as close as I remember, because so far I can't find the article for the exact quote. It was the usual "There are too many fat people, and obviously they can't deal with things unless the government uses a whip on them, so we need to tax them" crap that comes out regularly. I guess I shouldn't be surprised this nonsense is going on here. After all, a while back the Oklahoma City police chief announced that we need registration and licensing of firearms, so other idiocy cropping up shouldn't surprise me.
I have a suggestion: since this is supposed to be for our health, I propose a tax(say, 70-80% of their gross income) on nanny-state bureaucrats who want to raise taxes on food they don't like. Since their proposing this garbage is bad for my blood pressure, this should reduce the amount of their nonsense being spouted, thus it's good for health. Mine, at least.
Just before I left for work yesterday there was a report on KTOK about a big 'health project to fight obesity', which wasn't a surprise; such projects happen about every other week. This one, however, included the head of the project saying "We need to look at taxes on unhealthy foods and tax breaks for healthy activities like health club memberships." That's as close as I remember, because so far I can't find the article for the exact quote. It was the usual "There are too many fat people, and obviously they can't deal with things unless the government uses a whip on them, so we need to tax them" crap that comes out regularly. I guess I shouldn't be surprised this nonsense is going on here. After all, a while back the Oklahoma City police chief announced that we need registration and licensing of firearms, so other idiocy cropping up shouldn't surprise me.
I have a suggestion: since this is supposed to be for our health, I propose a tax(say, 70-80% of their gross income) on nanny-state bureaucrats who want to raise taxes on food they don't like. Since their proposing this garbage is bad for my blood pressure, this should reduce the amount of their nonsense being spouted, thus it's good for health. Mine, at least.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I guess this level of idiocy had to show up sometime
Sarah Palin is a JOOOOO! She's part of the CONSPIRACY! And Jimmy Carter
is APPALLED!
Yeah, I stole her picture; who could resist?
is APPALLED!Yeah, I stole her picture; who could resist?
If you need some more specifics on The Obama's GFW history
for arguments, Dave Kopel has ammunition for you. Including
The answer is straightforward, in the Illinois legislature, Obama for SB 1195, which defines "assault weapons" much more broadly than the 1994 federal law. It included double-barrel and break-open shotguns in 28 gauge caliber and larger; and also banned .50 caliber rifles.
and
In the 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Obama said he favored a national ban on concealed carry permits.
The answer is straightforward, in the Illinois legislature, Obama for SB 1195, which defines "assault weapons" much more broadly than the 1994 federal law. It included double-barrel and break-open shotguns in 28 gauge caliber and larger; and also banned .50 caliber rifles.
and
In the 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Obama said he favored a national ban on concealed carry permits.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The truck is washed, the laundry done, and Sondra just ruined
my good mood:
Officials at the Merced County school confirmed Thursday that Jake Shelly was forced to take off a red, white and blue tie-dyed American flag T-shirt on Tuesday. The shirt said nothing offensive, just: "United States of America, Washington, D.C."
The school's assistant principal issued Shelly a bright yellow T-shirt that read "DCV: Dress Code Violator" to wear for the rest of the day. He was given his shirt back after classes ended.
...
Earlier in the day, he was speaking with a local news station when an unidentified teacher walked up to him, ripped off the microphone clipped to his shirt and told him he was not allowed to talk to the media.
...
"In reviewing the dress code at the time, an administrator felt the shirt was in violation of that section of the dress code," said Superintendent Brian Walker. "She asked him to remove it and he did."
The assistant principal initially thought Shelly's T-shirt violated a clause of the school dress code that does not allow "shirts/blouses that promote specific races, cultures, or ethnicities."
School officials said they will now interpret that clause of the dress code -- which was written at the beginning of this school year -- differently.
Translation: "We got caught showing what we think of this country, and we don't like the heat, so leave us alone now."
Fat effin' chance, dumbass.
She also points to something interesting. Something else about which we'll probably see glaciers in Kansas before the major media will talk about it:
There is a secret group in the Obama-Biden campaign tasked with shutting off any leaks from the record that links Barack Obama to his longtime adviser and mentor Bill Ayers, professor of education at the University of Illinois and unrepentant Weatherman terrorist and fugitive from the 1970s.
This surprising fact has been developed by Chicago-born and Ralph Nader-supporting Professor Steve Diamond of Santa Clara University Law School, who maintains the Global Labor and Politics blog and has pieced together over many months the unusual surreptitious activity around the public records of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) grant now housed at the University of Illinois and Brown University.
Better to read the piece whole, than see bits here.
Officials at the Merced County school confirmed Thursday that Jake Shelly was forced to take off a red, white and blue tie-dyed American flag T-shirt on Tuesday. The shirt said nothing offensive, just: "United States of America, Washington, D.C."
The school's assistant principal issued Shelly a bright yellow T-shirt that read "DCV: Dress Code Violator" to wear for the rest of the day. He was given his shirt back after classes ended.
...
Earlier in the day, he was speaking with a local news station when an unidentified teacher walked up to him, ripped off the microphone clipped to his shirt and told him he was not allowed to talk to the media.
...
"In reviewing the dress code at the time, an administrator felt the shirt was in violation of that section of the dress code," said Superintendent Brian Walker. "She asked him to remove it and he did."
The assistant principal initially thought Shelly's T-shirt violated a clause of the school dress code that does not allow "shirts/blouses that promote specific races, cultures, or ethnicities."
School officials said they will now interpret that clause of the dress code -- which was written at the beginning of this school year -- differently.
Translation: "We got caught showing what we think of this country, and we don't like the heat, so leave us alone now."
Fat effin' chance, dumbass.
She also points to something interesting. Something else about which we'll probably see glaciers in Kansas before the major media will talk about it:
There is a secret group in the Obama-Biden campaign tasked with shutting off any leaks from the record that links Barack Obama to his longtime adviser and mentor Bill Ayers, professor of education at the University of Illinois and unrepentant Weatherman terrorist and fugitive from the 1970s.
This surprising fact has been developed by Chicago-born and Ralph Nader-supporting Professor Steve Diamond of Santa Clara University Law School, who maintains the Global Labor and Politics blog and has pieced together over many months the unusual surreptitious activity around the public records of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC) grant now housed at the University of Illinois and Brown University.
Better to read the piece whole, than see bits here.
There's just something about some police officers and dogs
that leads to dead dogs.
Sharon Kulers heard her Dalmatian barking outside, so she made her way to the back yard.
She saw a Mount Olive Police Department cruiser pull up to the house behind hers.
Then she noticed the shotgun in one of the officer's hands, aimed at her neighbor's 45-pound Labrador retriever.
"I said, 'Please don't shoot that dog. He won't hurt you,'" Mrs. Kulers said.
The officer looked at her, then back at the dog.
A shot rang out -- then, another.
"I said, 'Why did you have to do that? You didn't have to do that,'" Mrs. Kulers said. "He said, 'It showed its teeth.' He said, 'We have a right to do this.'"
"It showed its teeth." At a stranger at the fence. So he shot it, as is his 'right'. Just bleepin' wonderful, isn't it? And the department was so considerate in notifying her:
Colby Mangum arrived home at 7:45 and was greeted by a note on her front door.
"It said, 'Call the Mount Olive Police Department about your vicious dog,'" the 24-year-old Mount Olive College graduate said.
Immediately, she thought of her Rottweiler, Bella.
"Because of her breed and her size, I could understand if she got loose and scared someone," Ms. Mangum said.
But "never" would she have imagined that the note was in reference to her 2-year-old, "undersized" Labrador.
Isn't that just so, compassionate?
What started this mess?
The neighbor who called the police was "really upset," too, Ms. Mangum said.
She was in her yard collecting sticks and pinecones when she mistook a playful lunge for one of aggression, she told her neighbor.
"She said (Durham getting shot) wasn't her intention," Ms. Mangum said. "That wasn't what she wanted. Not even close."
Lesson if you live in Mount Olive: don't complain to the cops about a dog unless you want it dead.
When the officer showed up at her home, he showed no sympathy, she said.
"He was very cold, very rude," Ms. Mangum said. "He said, 'Well ma'am, that's procedure."
Nearly the same thing the shooter told Mrs. Kulers hours earlier.
Police Chief Ralph Schroeder said based on the report he has seen, his men were justified in using lethal force.
Calls to his office to get the name of the officer who fired the shots were not returned Friday. The notice left on Ms. Magnum's door was signed by "S. Parks."
They were called by a neighbor who said the dog was acting aggressive, the dog "showed its teeth" to officers, and even "lunged" at one of them, he said.
But at the scene, the department official sent to discuss the incident told Ms. Mangum that the dog was too far away to spray with mace, requiring two shotgun shells instead.
"From what I have seen in the reports, that is what it says. The dog was being aggressive," Schroeder said. "(Our officers) attempt to get the owner to control their animal. If we can't, you have to make the decision on what to do with it."
Please note, the dog was in a fenced yard. Dogs consider- rightly- their yard their territory to protect. Stranger shows up and dog 'acts aggressive' and 'shows its teeth', these sorry excuses for lawmen consider that excuse to shoot it. Just absolutely disgusting.
Town Manager Charles Brown said he had no comment other than he had heard about the shooting.
But he did say that that "any time an officer feels threatened, they have the right to respond to that."
'Any time an officer feels threatened'? By a dog in a fence? He has no problem with that?
Now, most PD's call animal control to check on an aggressive dog report, did they here? Why, no.
Wayne County Animal Control director Justin Scally said he is not aware of any calls made to his office from Mount Olive police in reference to the incident -- Thursday evening or since.
"Typically, the 911 center will contact us," he said. "But to my knowledge, we didn't get any calls Thursday."
But Scally did say that he is not aware of any incidents in which a dog was put down by someone on his staff due to aggressive behavior.
Well, obviously your staff is behind the times and not racking up the number of kills the PD is. You gonna get on the ball, or keep acting like an intelligent public employee?
This is a fine example of "I'm a Police Officer and I can do whatever I decide I need/want to", and a prize winning example of 'Law Enforcement- sorry excuse for' AND 'LE While Stupid'.
Sharon Kulers heard her Dalmatian barking outside, so she made her way to the back yard.
She saw a Mount Olive Police Department cruiser pull up to the house behind hers.
Then she noticed the shotgun in one of the officer's hands, aimed at her neighbor's 45-pound Labrador retriever.
"I said, 'Please don't shoot that dog. He won't hurt you,'" Mrs. Kulers said.
The officer looked at her, then back at the dog.
A shot rang out -- then, another.
"I said, 'Why did you have to do that? You didn't have to do that,'" Mrs. Kulers said. "He said, 'It showed its teeth.' He said, 'We have a right to do this.'"
"It showed its teeth." At a stranger at the fence. So he shot it, as is his 'right'. Just bleepin' wonderful, isn't it? And the department was so considerate in notifying her:
Colby Mangum arrived home at 7:45 and was greeted by a note on her front door.
"It said, 'Call the Mount Olive Police Department about your vicious dog,'" the 24-year-old Mount Olive College graduate said.
Immediately, she thought of her Rottweiler, Bella.
"Because of her breed and her size, I could understand if she got loose and scared someone," Ms. Mangum said.
But "never" would she have imagined that the note was in reference to her 2-year-old, "undersized" Labrador.
Isn't that just so, compassionate?
What started this mess?
The neighbor who called the police was "really upset," too, Ms. Mangum said.
She was in her yard collecting sticks and pinecones when she mistook a playful lunge for one of aggression, she told her neighbor.
"She said (Durham getting shot) wasn't her intention," Ms. Mangum said. "That wasn't what she wanted. Not even close."
Lesson if you live in Mount Olive: don't complain to the cops about a dog unless you want it dead.
When the officer showed up at her home, he showed no sympathy, she said.
"He was very cold, very rude," Ms. Mangum said. "He said, 'Well ma'am, that's procedure."
Nearly the same thing the shooter told Mrs. Kulers hours earlier.
Police Chief Ralph Schroeder said based on the report he has seen, his men were justified in using lethal force.
Calls to his office to get the name of the officer who fired the shots were not returned Friday. The notice left on Ms. Magnum's door was signed by "S. Parks."
They were called by a neighbor who said the dog was acting aggressive, the dog "showed its teeth" to officers, and even "lunged" at one of them, he said.
But at the scene, the department official sent to discuss the incident told Ms. Mangum that the dog was too far away to spray with mace, requiring two shotgun shells instead.
"From what I have seen in the reports, that is what it says. The dog was being aggressive," Schroeder said. "(Our officers) attempt to get the owner to control their animal. If we can't, you have to make the decision on what to do with it."
Please note, the dog was in a fenced yard. Dogs consider- rightly- their yard their territory to protect. Stranger shows up and dog 'acts aggressive' and 'shows its teeth', these sorry excuses for lawmen consider that excuse to shoot it. Just absolutely disgusting.
Town Manager Charles Brown said he had no comment other than he had heard about the shooting.
But he did say that that "any time an officer feels threatened, they have the right to respond to that."
'Any time an officer feels threatened'? By a dog in a fence? He has no problem with that?
Now, most PD's call animal control to check on an aggressive dog report, did they here? Why, no.
Wayne County Animal Control director Justin Scally said he is not aware of any calls made to his office from Mount Olive police in reference to the incident -- Thursday evening or since.
"Typically, the 911 center will contact us," he said. "But to my knowledge, we didn't get any calls Thursday."
But Scally did say that he is not aware of any incidents in which a dog was put down by someone on his staff due to aggressive behavior.
Well, obviously your staff is behind the times and not racking up the number of kills the PD is. You gonna get on the ball, or keep acting like an intelligent public employee?
This is a fine example of "I'm a Police Officer and I can do whatever I decide I need/want to", and a prize winning example of 'Law Enforcement- sorry excuse for' AND 'LE While Stupid'.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Cowtown Cop recommended a book
Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas. Just finished it a couple of days ago; not bad at all. Good enough I've got the second from the library, and will start on it tonight.
Just a bit of Monday roundup
Gee, a reporter possibly faking 'racist who won't vote for The Obama' stories? Whoda thunk it?
The piece goes on to note that Sandra Cichon had been previously interviewed by the St. Petersberg Times for a local election: eight months earlier. It had nothing to do with the presidential election. Nada. Nil. Nothing.
Looks like this guy pulled a name out of his a$$ and never imagined anyone would question it.
Which is why I find reports like these so jarring because it just sounds nearly implausible that some guy sitting in a cafe is just going to pop off to a reporter or other stranger that:
I wonder when it'll occur to the clowns in charge of the journalist liars just how badly they've screwed their 'profession' by nonsense like this?
Well, well, well, a Barack The Obama staffer doing things that are possibly illegal to spread lies about Palin? Ok, I can't say 'whoda thunk it?' because it's not a surprise. And Ace has a bunch on this, too(too many links to list, start at the top and work down).
When Biden started his "My Barack better not come after my shotguns" crap as part of the "Let's lie to gun owners to try and get their votes" strategy, my first thought was "So he can't have your shotgun, but you've got no problem with him taking my rifle and my pistol?"
Some information on a man who helped make the surge. And helped make it work.
And some interesting quotes from our betters(hey, they SAY they are!) about what's wrong with us. including this:
Ask yourself: how has ‘elitism’ become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn’t seem too intelligent or well educated.
I submit that this clown doesn't really understand how many people see 'elite'. Those pilots and troops and scientists are 'elites' because they worked their ass off for years to become the best. Not just 'the best they can be', the best. While far too many(especially in the case of scientists) are willing to defer somewhat to someone because 'He went to (fill in the blank) University!', generally they get that designation because they worked for it. Same for engineers and musicians and whatever. Having gone to a 'right' university or belonging to the 'right' clubs and organizations doesn't cut it for most people: their question is "What have you DONE that I should think of you as 'elite'?" And far too many of what he considers elite fall into the 'right school, right groups, says the right things' class; they may never have actually done anything, but they have the right associations so he thinks of them as 'elite'.
I once responded to someone on a 'American's don't like education and are anti-intellectual' that Americans generally have high respect for education and want their kids to do better; what tends to be classed as 'anti-intellectual' is people being willing to tell self-important fools who think they have some inherent right to control our lives to go to hell. And who says that makes them anti-intellectual? The self-important fools. Of course.
Bleah. I've got things to do.
The piece goes on to note that Sandra Cichon had been previously interviewed by the St. Petersberg Times for a local election: eight months earlier. It had nothing to do with the presidential election. Nada. Nil. Nothing.
Looks like this guy pulled a name out of his a$$ and never imagined anyone would question it.
Which is why I find reports like these so jarring because it just sounds nearly implausible that some guy sitting in a cafe is just going to pop off to a reporter or other stranger that:
I wonder when it'll occur to the clowns in charge of the journalist liars just how badly they've screwed their 'profession' by nonsense like this?
Well, well, well, a Barack The Obama staffer doing things that are possibly illegal to spread lies about Palin? Ok, I can't say 'whoda thunk it?' because it's not a surprise. And Ace has a bunch on this, too(too many links to list, start at the top and work down).
When Biden started his "My Barack better not come after my shotguns" crap as part of the "Let's lie to gun owners to try and get their votes" strategy, my first thought was "So he can't have your shotgun, but you've got no problem with him taking my rifle and my pistol?"
Some information on a man who helped make the surge. And helped make it work.
And some interesting quotes from our betters(hey, they SAY they are!) about what's wrong with us. including this:
Ask yourself: how has ‘elitism’ become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn’t seem too intelligent or well educated.
I submit that this clown doesn't really understand how many people see 'elite'. Those pilots and troops and scientists are 'elites' because they worked their ass off for years to become the best. Not just 'the best they can be', the best. While far too many(especially in the case of scientists) are willing to defer somewhat to someone because 'He went to (fill in the blank) University!', generally they get that designation because they worked for it. Same for engineers and musicians and whatever. Having gone to a 'right' university or belonging to the 'right' clubs and organizations doesn't cut it for most people: their question is "What have you DONE that I should think of you as 'elite'?" And far too many of what he considers elite fall into the 'right school, right groups, says the right things' class; they may never have actually done anything, but they have the right associations so he thinks of them as 'elite'.
I once responded to someone on a 'American's don't like education and are anti-intellectual' that Americans generally have high respect for education and want their kids to do better; what tends to be classed as 'anti-intellectual' is people being willing to tell self-important fools who think they have some inherent right to control our lives to go to hell. And who says that makes them anti-intellectual? The self-important fools. Of course.
Bleah. I've got things to do.
Just to reinforce: if any of your friends have any doubts about Barack
I Don't Have The Votes Obama and his intentions towards the 2nd Amendment, check this out:
FACT: Barack Obama voted for an Illinois State Senate bill to ban and confiscate “assault weapons,” but the bill was so poorly crafted, it would have also banned most semi-auto and single and double barrel shotguns commonly used by sportsmen.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.
FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a 500% increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.
FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.
And on, and on. If you own firearms for ANY reason, or just like the government kept out of your life as much as possible, this man is NOT your friend.
FACT: Barack Obama voted for an Illinois State Senate bill to ban and confiscate “assault weapons,” but the bill was so poorly crafted, it would have also banned most semi-auto and single and double barrel shotguns commonly used by sportsmen.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to allow reckless lawsuits designed to bankrupt the firearms industry.
FACT: Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a 500% increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition.
FACT: Barack Obama has endorsed a complete ban on handgun ownership.
FACT: Barack Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
FACT: Barack Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense.
And on, and on. If you own firearms for ANY reason, or just like the government kept out of your life as much as possible, this man is NOT your friend.
J.C. Higgins Model 80
This is another of the 'store brand' firearms, made by one company with another company's name on it. In this case the pistol is the High Standard Model 101 under the Higgins name. And it as a couple of interesting features. One is a cocking indicator that sticks out the back of the frame.Unlike the High Standard Sport King I shot a while back, this one does have a slide lock. The safety is a left-right button near the back of the receiver just below the slide. Push left, safety on, it also locks the slide closed. Push right, safety off. Pull the slide back, push the button left, slide is locked open. This is not a last-round hold-open, manual use only. So lock the slide back, unscrew the knurled wheel just ahead of the trigger guard and the barrel comes off.
Pull the slide back a touch and release the safety and the slide(you'd better not turn loose of it) slides forward off the frame, field-stripped for cleaning. The really unusual thing about this is the grip. At the back of the magazine well is a bolt; unscrew it and you get this:
The rear trigger guard and mag well are the grip; there's no lower receiver. The magazine release is a lever just above the trigger on the left side, so the mag locks at the top. It's a BIG target-type grip with a wide thumb rest on the left, so left-handed people are out of luck with this one.
How'd it shoot? Like a High Standard: light, clean trigger and good accuracy, no complaints. Like almost any .22 autoloader, a bit picky about ammo; didn't always cycle fully with some standard velocity stuff, always did with high. At ten yards it would keep all shots(offhand) in a tight group, about an inch or so, which is about as tight as I can hold with anything. That grip did require getting your hand in the right position to properly press the trigger.
Overall, not a bad little pistol at all. And thanks to the owner who let me try it out and shoot the pictures.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
A very good piece on Sarah Palin
from Britain:
The pro-life, devoutly Christian, happily married mother-of-five has emerged from the political margins to become the most intriguing and divisive woman in today's America.
She has enraged the Left in general and feminists in particular at every turn. What infuriates them most is her rapid rise to the national stage and her ability, like Ronald Reagan before her, to talk to the people in a language they understand with a fundamentalist message many of them want to hear.
It's all so damned reactionary. Heck, the man she admires most in the world is her husband.
There is something almost evangelical about her desire to give voice to the largely unheard folk of America; the ordinary, hard-working, God-fearing majority.
The liberal elite of the East and West coasts despise her, but middle Americans seem to have fallen for Palin as the figurehead of a new kind of politics.
The title? Sarah Palin is as popular as Diana in the hearts of the American public
Well worth reading. Found thanks to Confederate Yankee
The pro-life, devoutly Christian, happily married mother-of-five has emerged from the political margins to become the most intriguing and divisive woman in today's America.
She has enraged the Left in general and feminists in particular at every turn. What infuriates them most is her rapid rise to the national stage and her ability, like Ronald Reagan before her, to talk to the people in a language they understand with a fundamentalist message many of them want to hear.
It's all so damned reactionary. Heck, the man she admires most in the world is her husband.
There is something almost evangelical about her desire to give voice to the largely unheard folk of America; the ordinary, hard-working, God-fearing majority.
The liberal elite of the East and West coasts despise her, but middle Americans seem to have fallen for Palin as the figurehead of a new kind of politics.
The title? Sarah Palin is as popular as Diana in the hearts of the American public
Well worth reading. Found thanks to Confederate Yankee
So the 'far-right' rally was cancelled because the commies
and islamists rioted, and the city government says
About a kilometer away, several thousand peaceful demonstrators listened as Cologne's mayor Fritz Schramma stood up outside the city's great cathedral to denounce the far-right rally.
City and national German authorities detest the rightists, but say they must allow them the right of free speech.
Schramma described those who bent on holding the far-right rally as "racists in bourgeois dress" and "the moldy clique of Euro-Fascism," adding: "I say, there is the door. Go home!"
...
Cologne Mayor Schramma, who has personally backed the mosque project, welcomed the rally ban.
"It's a victory for the city of Cologne and a victory by the democratic forces in this city," he told Dpa news agency.
Yeah, this was a real 'victory for democracy', all right; a victory for mob rule. How were the protesters protesting?
The leftists, who were bent on occupying a city square set aside for the rightists to use, assaulted police and tried to snatch their pistols. Riot police advanced against them, swinging batons.
At Heumarkt, the square set aside for the rightists, the far left attacked roadblocks at several places and scuffled with riot police, but were repulsed.
"We had to crack down hard to avoid something worse happening," a police spokesman said. Reporters saw two men being detained. A police officer was hurt in the face when a firecracker was thrown at him.
Expecting trouble, riot police kept water-cannon trucks that can knock a man to the ground at 30 meters at the ready.
A police spokesman said the leftists were no longer attacking in small groups but in large formations.
Yup. Real victory for democracy there, folks. And note the bullcrap from the mayor about 'racists'. I realize it scrapes on your PC At Any Cost feelings, mayor, but islam is a religion, not a race. And you're a moron.
About a kilometer away, several thousand peaceful demonstrators listened as Cologne's mayor Fritz Schramma stood up outside the city's great cathedral to denounce the far-right rally.
City and national German authorities detest the rightists, but say they must allow them the right of free speech.
Schramma described those who bent on holding the far-right rally as "racists in bourgeois dress" and "the moldy clique of Euro-Fascism," adding: "I say, there is the door. Go home!"
...
Cologne Mayor Schramma, who has personally backed the mosque project, welcomed the rally ban.
"It's a victory for the city of Cologne and a victory by the democratic forces in this city," he told Dpa news agency.
Yeah, this was a real 'victory for democracy', all right; a victory for mob rule. How were the protesters protesting?
The leftists, who were bent on occupying a city square set aside for the rightists to use, assaulted police and tried to snatch their pistols. Riot police advanced against them, swinging batons.
At Heumarkt, the square set aside for the rightists, the far left attacked roadblocks at several places and scuffled with riot police, but were repulsed.
"We had to crack down hard to avoid something worse happening," a police spokesman said. Reporters saw two men being detained. A police officer was hurt in the face when a firecracker was thrown at him.
Expecting trouble, riot police kept water-cannon trucks that can knock a man to the ground at 30 meters at the ready.
A police spokesman said the leftists were no longer attacking in small groups but in large formations.
Yup. Real victory for democracy there, folks. And note the bullcrap from the mayor about 'racists'. I realize it scrapes on your PC At Any Cost feelings, mayor, but islam is a religion, not a race. And you're a moron.
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