but not this particular one:
"Men are basically smart or dumb and lazy or ambitious. The dumb and ambitious ones are dangerous and I get rid of them. The dumb and lazy ones I give mundane duties. The smart ambitious ones I put on my staff. The smart and lazy ones I make my commanders." attributed to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and a few other German Generals. If anybody knows who said it first I'd love to know.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
A really good thing, and what I hope
is the start of a REALLY good thing.
First, the good:
The University of Virginia (U.Va.) had stalled since last year in handing over its record relating to accusations against a former academic employee implicated in the Climategate controversy of November 2009.
The researcher in the hot seat is global warming doomsayer, Professor Michael Mann who now works at Penn. State University. Mann, a Lead Author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been under increasing scrutiny since the climate fraud scandal hit the headlines over a year ago.
The latest story appears on the SPPI website which reports, “Court records reveal that counsel for the University has indicated instead that the Mann-related records do in fact exist, on a backup server. To avoid University delay or claims for huge search fees, today’s request specifically directs the school to search that server.”
Oh yeah, Mann's got to be so happy he could pass a gallstone over this. As to the University, along with a general "No, you can't hide the information" matter, there's this:
According to Horner U.Va. has offered "a series of twists" on a novel defense of 'academic freedom.' It has spent half a million dollars on legal fees trying to prevent Virginia’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli acquiring any access to the records. Cuccinelli filed his petition for access on behalf of the state’s taxpayers last year.
Maybe parents and students paying Bleep-knows-what for tuition ought to file for the University to show where that half-million came from; "If any of it was from my tuition or fee payments, I want it back!".
The hopefully-will-become REALLY great thing:
Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside.
From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.
“We either live together, or we die together,” was the sloganeering genius of Mohamed El-Sawy, a Muslim arts tycoon whose cultural centre distributed flyers at churches in Cairo Thursday night, and who has been credited with first floating the “human shield” idea.
This, I think, is a Very Good Thing. Got to be lots and lots of muslims in other places as well who are sick of the murders and tortures and abuse. May they all show this kind of courage in demonstrating such.
First, the good:
The University of Virginia (U.Va.) had stalled since last year in handing over its record relating to accusations against a former academic employee implicated in the Climategate controversy of November 2009.
The researcher in the hot seat is global warming doomsayer, Professor Michael Mann who now works at Penn. State University. Mann, a Lead Author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been under increasing scrutiny since the climate fraud scandal hit the headlines over a year ago.
The latest story appears on the SPPI website which reports, “Court records reveal that counsel for the University has indicated instead that the Mann-related records do in fact exist, on a backup server. To avoid University delay or claims for huge search fees, today’s request specifically directs the school to search that server.”
Oh yeah, Mann's got to be so happy he could pass a gallstone over this. As to the University, along with a general "No, you can't hide the information" matter, there's this:
According to Horner U.Va. has offered "a series of twists" on a novel defense of 'academic freedom.' It has spent half a million dollars on legal fees trying to prevent Virginia’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli acquiring any access to the records. Cuccinelli filed his petition for access on behalf of the state’s taxpayers last year.
Maybe parents and students paying Bleep-knows-what for tuition ought to file for the University to show where that half-million came from; "If any of it was from my tuition or fee payments, I want it back!".
The hopefully-will-become REALLY great thing:
Egypt’s majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside.
From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as “human shields” for last night’s mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.
“We either live together, or we die together,” was the sloganeering genius of Mohamed El-Sawy, a Muslim arts tycoon whose cultural centre distributed flyers at churches in Cairo Thursday night, and who has been credited with first floating the “human shield” idea.
This, I think, is a Very Good Thing. Got to be lots and lots of muslims in other places as well who are sick of the murders and tortures and abuse. May they all show this kind of courage in demonstrating such.
Friday, January 07, 2011
A weather scare sequence
Week or so back the "Nasty horrible arctic cold coming! Be warned!! Be scared!!!" stuff started. Which is my signal to 'ignore local weather weenies for a while* and check other sources'. So I did, and checked further as it approaches. It went from the above-mentioned "YOU MAY DIE!! IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO US!" to "It'll get pretty cold for a few days, be some snow in some areas so be ready if you have to travel in it." At least what I've found from the NWS and such; I still haven't gone back to listening to the local people; in severe thunderstorm conditions they're pretty good(though still doing some "We need to scare you" stuff, but in winter they can be a pain in the ass.
*Yes, I do make some preparations this time of year, just to be safe, but I refuse to listen to the crap they throw out.
*Yes, I do make some preparations this time of year, just to be safe, but I refuse to listen to the crap they throw out.
Said it before: SWAT teams, used properly,
are a valuable tool; used improperly they're a threat.
The fatal shooting of an innocent 68-year-old man by Framingham police reignited debate among law enforcement experts yesterday over the role of heavily armed, specialized units for routine drug busts.
Got curious and looked, and Balko has some more here and here. Including this bit from the Framingham Police Chief:
...During the service of the search warrant Mr. Eurie Stamps was tragically and fatally struck by a bullet which was discharged from a SWAT officer’s rifle.
Interesting wording, isn't it?
The fatal shooting of an innocent 68-year-old man by Framingham police reignited debate among law enforcement experts yesterday over the role of heavily armed, specialized units for routine drug busts.
Got curious and looked, and Balko has some more here and here. Including this bit from the Framingham Police Chief:
...During the service of the search warrant Mr. Eurie Stamps was tragically and fatally struck by a bullet which was discharged from a SWAT officer’s rifle.
Interesting wording, isn't it?
In between getting ready for the snow they're saying
should come in Sunday(or maybe Monday) and general "Bleep, where did all this mess come from?" cleaning, I found a few things to talk about. Ref the clown Colman McCarthy who has demonstrated his contempt for members of the US Military, two bits from Confederate Yankee's response:
Even so, Mr McCarthy’s appreciation for the ethic of the warrior remains undiminished: “In recent years, I've had several Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans in my college classes. If only the peace movement were as populated by people of such resolve and daring.” Hmm. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy might want to consider that those who are truly resolved and daring tend to involved themselves in callings and endeavors where resolve and daring are required and appreciated, endeavors such as actually fighting for peace rather than talking about it. Could this be why Mr. McCarthy finds himself surrounded by weak-minded milquetoasts?
My thought: "Mr. McCarthy, if you can't find people of such resolve and daring in your 'peace movement', why aren't you asking yourself why you don't?
The next bit:
Mr. McCarthy saves his big guns--please pardon the military metaphor; I can’t help myself--for last: “ROTC and its warrior ethic taint the intellectual purity of a school, if by purity we mean trying to rise above the foul idea that nations can kill and destroy their way to peace.”
“The intellectual purity of a school?!” No. That’s too easy. Readers who wish to discover the level of intellectual purity on contemporary “elite” campuses have only to research names such as Bill Ayers, Cornel West or Ward Churchill.
Indeed.
My oh my, this will stir some things up:
Magnus v. U.S., decided today, concludes that a defendant who pled guilty in 1996 to violating D.C. handgun ban can now have that plea set aside given D.C. v. Heller, assuming his conduct was indeed protected by the Second Amendment (and didn’t, for instance, involve the possession of a gun to facilitate an illegal drug transaction). “A conviction for conduct that is not criminal, but is instead constitutionally protected, is the ultimate miscarriage of justice,” and a defendant can therefore ask to have it set aside (via a petition for coram nobis relief) even many years later.
and so will this:
Right Turn has obtained the first oversight letter from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued to the Justice Department. While he was in the minority, Smith labored, largely unsuccessfully, on the committee to convince the Democratic chairman to investigate a range of issues, including detainee policy and New Black Panther Party case. He now has the authority to schedule hearings, call witnesses and subpoena documents.
Don't you know there were some major pucker moments in Holder's office when the Tea Party people won enough elections to take the House?
So, is Pelosi just so stuck on parroting the "It's the fault of BUSH!" line that she can't stop, or is she actually certifiable?
Obama didn't make Traver a recess appointment(you can just hear somebody on the staff saying "How many people do you really want to piss off this way right now?"), and has re-nominated him. I kind of like this idea:
While I really don't think Traver can get approved by the Senate given his record of anti-gun activism, I think his renomination actually can serve a useful purpose for gun rights. The confirmation hearings will be an opportunity to air much of ATF's dirty laundry which has been ignored by the mainstream media. These range from gross mismanagement in the upper levels of the bureau to allegations of looking the other way to AR's being smuggled into Mexico so that they could be traced back to the U.S.
Oh yeah, start bringing ALL this up and asking Traver "Were you aware of this? Really? You were in WHAT position for HOW LONG and you say you know nothing about this? Is your real last name Schultz?"
And finally, thanks to Theo,
Even so, Mr McCarthy’s appreciation for the ethic of the warrior remains undiminished: “In recent years, I've had several Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans in my college classes. If only the peace movement were as populated by people of such resolve and daring.” Hmm. Perhaps Mr. McCarthy might want to consider that those who are truly resolved and daring tend to involved themselves in callings and endeavors where resolve and daring are required and appreciated, endeavors such as actually fighting for peace rather than talking about it. Could this be why Mr. McCarthy finds himself surrounded by weak-minded milquetoasts?
My thought: "Mr. McCarthy, if you can't find people of such resolve and daring in your 'peace movement', why aren't you asking yourself why you don't?
The next bit:
Mr. McCarthy saves his big guns--please pardon the military metaphor; I can’t help myself--for last: “ROTC and its warrior ethic taint the intellectual purity of a school, if by purity we mean trying to rise above the foul idea that nations can kill and destroy their way to peace.”
“The intellectual purity of a school?!” No. That’s too easy. Readers who wish to discover the level of intellectual purity on contemporary “elite” campuses have only to research names such as Bill Ayers, Cornel West or Ward Churchill.
Indeed.
My oh my, this will stir some things up:
Magnus v. U.S., decided today, concludes that a defendant who pled guilty in 1996 to violating D.C. handgun ban can now have that plea set aside given D.C. v. Heller, assuming his conduct was indeed protected by the Second Amendment (and didn’t, for instance, involve the possession of a gun to facilitate an illegal drug transaction). “A conviction for conduct that is not criminal, but is instead constitutionally protected, is the ultimate miscarriage of justice,” and a defendant can therefore ask to have it set aside (via a petition for coram nobis relief) even many years later.
and so will this:
Right Turn has obtained the first oversight letter from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) issued to the Justice Department. While he was in the minority, Smith labored, largely unsuccessfully, on the committee to convince the Democratic chairman to investigate a range of issues, including detainee policy and New Black Panther Party case. He now has the authority to schedule hearings, call witnesses and subpoena documents.
Don't you know there were some major pucker moments in Holder's office when the Tea Party people won enough elections to take the House?
So, is Pelosi just so stuck on parroting the "It's the fault of BUSH!" line that she can't stop, or is she actually certifiable?
Obama didn't make Traver a recess appointment(you can just hear somebody on the staff saying "How many people do you really want to piss off this way right now?"), and has re-nominated him. I kind of like this idea:
While I really don't think Traver can get approved by the Senate given his record of anti-gun activism, I think his renomination actually can serve a useful purpose for gun rights. The confirmation hearings will be an opportunity to air much of ATF's dirty laundry which has been ignored by the mainstream media. These range from gross mismanagement in the upper levels of the bureau to allegations of looking the other way to AR's being smuggled into Mexico so that they could be traced back to the U.S.
Oh yeah, start bringing ALL this up and asking Traver "Were you aware of this? Really? You were in WHAT position for HOW LONG and you say you know nothing about this? Is your real last name Schultz?"
And finally, thanks to Theo,
On the Erik Scott case, more up over at
Confederate Yankee, here and here. I want to post a couple of bits, for the full impact you really need to read them entire. First, from the first link,
MINDSET: Most interesting--and disturbing--is the response of the Metro police, as communicated by their Union President Chris Collins, who represents approximately 2,800 officers. According to Collins, not only will officers--even those who merely witnessed the actions of fellow officers--fail to testify at inquests, they will refuse to make statements to investigators--usually Metro homicide detectives--after a shooting or death caused by other means. Apparently Collins has gone so far as to suggest that officers will refuse to honor subpoenas.
That one piece, all by itself, says the union needs cleaning out. Or being abolished. And any officer who refuses a subpoena, or refuses to speak to investigators, should be treated just like Joe or Jane Citizen is treated.
Collins objected to the idea that officers might have to repeatedly testify about their actions. Remember that in the past, officers have typically had to testify only at an inquest, and even so, their testimony, as in the Erik Scott case, has been less than complete. “now we’re saying ‘screw it’--you only have to answer twice instead of four times: Answer in the deposition and the federal case and skip the homicide investigation and skip the inquest,” Collins said.
Collins apparently believes that all officers will have to do is to simply inform the judge and prosecutor before the inquest that they won’t answer questions--in essence telling them that they intend to take the Fifth--and they’ll be able to ignore subpoenas. Collins said that skipping inquests will be good for officers because it will allow them to avoid the embarrassment and discomfort of pleading the Fifth Amendment to every question from the witness stand.
A: Toss Collins out on his ass.
B: Inform all officers that if they act as Collins says(Because God forbid officers should face repeated questioning, as if they were just plain citizens or something) that they'll be treated- prosecuted if called for- just like any other citizen.
The second post has a lot on how Sheriff Gillespie wants to keep control of things in inquest procedures for the benefit of the police(screw the citizens). What I want to borrow from this one is the statement from the Scott family:
SCOTT FAMILY STATEMENT: The family of Erik Scott has issued a press release to the Las Vegas media. The media has reproduced only a portion of the release in the stories linked at the beginning of this update, so as a public service, I reproduce the press release, in its entirety, here:
“The stated PPA [Las Vegas Metro Police Protective Association] policy of having law enforcement union members refuse to cooperate with investigations of officer-involved shootings and other potential abuses of police power invokes the image of a grade-school playground bully demanding that only his version of the fight be related to the principal, or the bully and his gang will refuse to cooperate at all. If that’s the way Southern Nevada police officers choose to behave, so be it. That’s perfectly fine with us and other victims’ families.
Such petulant, childish refusals to cooperate with already-questionable internal investigations may finally stimulate two backlash responses from incensed citizens and lawmakers:
• Institute a system whereby ALL officer-involved shootings that result in death must be investigated by an outside agency, ideally a U.S. Justice Department version of the National Transportation Safety Board. This federal body will have the authority to solicit testimony from any person involved in the shooting, including all officers involved.
• Pass a Nevada law similar to California Government Code 3300-3311, the “California Peace Officers Bill of Rights.” Under this statute, California police officers can elect to not cooperate with an investigation of potential police misdeeds, but, in making that choice, risk being charged with insubordination and subsequent dismissal. Officers have the right to invoke their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, but may lose their job, if warranted.
Las Vegas-area police unions are accustomed to having complete control of homicide investigations involving officers for so long that they cannot conceive of being held accountable for their actions, under the new coroner’s inquest ordinance. But in refusing to cooperate, those unions are prompting even more outrage and wrath from their employers, the citizens who pay police salaries. When will the unions realize that those halcyon days of Southern Nevada cops doing whatever they please—and getting away with it—are over?”
MINDSET: Most interesting--and disturbing--is the response of the Metro police, as communicated by their Union President Chris Collins, who represents approximately 2,800 officers. According to Collins, not only will officers--even those who merely witnessed the actions of fellow officers--fail to testify at inquests, they will refuse to make statements to investigators--usually Metro homicide detectives--after a shooting or death caused by other means. Apparently Collins has gone so far as to suggest that officers will refuse to honor subpoenas.
That one piece, all by itself, says the union needs cleaning out. Or being abolished. And any officer who refuses a subpoena, or refuses to speak to investigators, should be treated just like Joe or Jane Citizen is treated.
Collins apparently believes that all officers will have to do is to simply inform the judge and prosecutor before the inquest that they won’t answer questions--in essence telling them that they intend to take the Fifth--and they’ll be able to ignore subpoenas. Collins said that skipping inquests will be good for officers because it will allow them to avoid the embarrassment and discomfort of pleading the Fifth Amendment to every question from the witness stand.
A: Toss Collins out on his ass.
B: Inform all officers that if they act as Collins says(Because God forbid officers should face repeated questioning, as if they were just plain citizens or something) that they'll be treated- prosecuted if called for- just like any other citizen.
The second post has a lot on how
SCOTT FAMILY STATEMENT: The family of Erik Scott has issued a press release to the Las Vegas media. The media has reproduced only a portion of the release in the stories linked at the beginning of this update, so as a public service, I reproduce the press release, in its entirety, here:
“The stated PPA [Las Vegas Metro Police Protective Association] policy of having law enforcement union members refuse to cooperate with investigations of officer-involved shootings and other potential abuses of police power invokes the image of a grade-school playground bully demanding that only his version of the fight be related to the principal, or the bully and his gang will refuse to cooperate at all. If that’s the way Southern Nevada police officers choose to behave, so be it. That’s perfectly fine with us and other victims’ families.
Such petulant, childish refusals to cooperate with already-questionable internal investigations may finally stimulate two backlash responses from incensed citizens and lawmakers:
• Institute a system whereby ALL officer-involved shootings that result in death must be investigated by an outside agency, ideally a U.S. Justice Department version of the National Transportation Safety Board. This federal body will have the authority to solicit testimony from any person involved in the shooting, including all officers involved.
• Pass a Nevada law similar to California Government Code 3300-3311, the “California Peace Officers Bill of Rights.” Under this statute, California police officers can elect to not cooperate with an investigation of potential police misdeeds, but, in making that choice, risk being charged with insubordination and subsequent dismissal. Officers have the right to invoke their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, but may lose their job, if warranted.
Las Vegas-area police unions are accustomed to having complete control of homicide investigations involving officers for so long that they cannot conceive of being held accountable for their actions, under the new coroner’s inquest ordinance. But in refusing to cooperate, those unions are prompting even more outrage and wrath from their employers, the citizens who pay police salaries. When will the unions realize that those halcyon days of Southern Nevada cops doing whatever they please—and getting away with it—are over?”
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Og has a bathroom story
over here, which reminded me of my own; no sex, but plenty of potential for embarrassment.
Back when was married to first wife we'd stopped at a fabric store to look for some costume material. It was after lunch, and suddenly the digestive tract advised me that lunch needed to exit. Now. So I headed for the back.
Go through the door into the back and there's not much light, I look around and see 'Restrooms' on a sign and head that way, through the door and into a stall and- with literal great relief- sit. About halfway through I heard the door open and footsteps that sounded a little odd. Door opens in the stall next to mine, closes, I glance down.
At an obviously female foot in a brown high heel shoe, said foot attached to a leg that was obviously coming out of a skirt. Bleep.
I sat there very quietly until she finished and left, very quickly washed hands and got the hell out, after peeking out to see if anybody was in the back.
And yeah, there were two doors. I checked. They needed more light back there.
Back when was married to first wife we'd stopped at a fabric store to look for some costume material. It was after lunch, and suddenly the digestive tract advised me that lunch needed to exit. Now. So I headed for the back.
Go through the door into the back and there's not much light, I look around and see 'Restrooms' on a sign and head that way, through the door and into a stall and- with literal great relief- sit. About halfway through I heard the door open and footsteps that sounded a little odd. Door opens in the stall next to mine, closes, I glance down.
At an obviously female foot in a brown high heel shoe, said foot attached to a leg that was obviously coming out of a skirt. Bleep.
I sat there very quietly until she finished and left, very quickly washed hands and got the hell out, after peeking out to see if anybody was in the back.
And yeah, there were two doors. I checked. They needed more light back there.
One of the benefits of having the part-time job turn
into a full-time for the past month was I was able to buy the new seat for the bike as my Christmas present to myself; got a Sargent when I found it on sale(the economy makes some things more affordable while screwing you in everything else). Today was the first time I've been able to ride for more than a few miles, and the difference between this and the factory seat is incredible.
Same thing on the Vulcan I used to own. I made my first trip on it(Dallas) and by the time I got back swore there wouldn't be another until it had a better saddle; I swear the bastard who designed the factory seat didn't like the customers. That bike got a Mustang, and it was wonderful; better designed, better padding.
Kind of amazing: someone makes a really nice bike and sticks a piece of crap on it for the rider to sit on. Bad idea, guys.
Same thing on the Vulcan I used to own. I made my first trip on it(Dallas) and by the time I got back swore there wouldn't be another until it had a better saddle; I swear the bastard who designed the factory seat didn't like the customers. That bike got a Mustang, and it was wonderful; better designed, better padding.
Kind of amazing: someone makes a really nice bike and sticks a piece of crap on it for the rider to sit on. Bad idea, guys.
If this is true, heads at BATFE need to roll.
Possibly literally if people are dead because of it.
Coming next will be more info on what the agents refer to as the Phoenix ATF office "walking across" ARs and AKs to pad their statistics and especially the one that may have killed the BP agent.
For the moment ignore the other stuff in that article and focus on this; followup here and here. From the last,
I’ve just been provided some additional details. The essence of what I’ve been told:
ATF’s Phoenix office allowed the guns to go across the border. The ATF office in Mexico was denied permission to share this information with their Mexican counterparts. Believing this was wrong, they went over the heads of the Phoenix office and requested permission directly from headquarters in DC. The higher-ups sided with the Phoenix decision to withhold the information from Mexican authorities.
That would make this an international law enforcement incident, would it not?
Uh, yeah, at the very least. Hey, new Congress, you want something else that needs real investigation? Here it is.
I'll now make note of something else from the first article:
Then there's this: An ATF Special Agent who went undercover in the Hells Angels is compelled to inform a dozen U.S. Senators of his ongoing legal battle against ATF senior management, including some startling and disturbing (to put it mildly) allegations:
This mess has been around for a while. This guy managed to actually become a patched member of the Hells Angels, gathered evidence and testimony of everything from murder to drugs to prostitution to illegal arms dealing; then the BATFE brass and prosecutors managed to screw up the cases so badly that many of the accused went free, and some who were convicted were able to plead to much lesser charges. And then the HA found out who he was and went after him and his family, and BATFE did- well, I'd say 'squat to protect them' but that would give the agency too much credit. Considering how this agency treats honest cops, it's amazing there are still any in it.
No, I can't say "A few bad ones in the agency cause this" because it's been going on for too long in, from the sound of it, just about all branches; that's not a few bad apples, that's an agency with a very bad attitude.
Coming next will be more info on what the agents refer to as the Phoenix ATF office "walking across" ARs and AKs to pad their statistics and especially the one that may have killed the BP agent.
For the moment ignore the other stuff in that article and focus on this; followup here and here. From the last,
I’ve just been provided some additional details. The essence of what I’ve been told:
That would make this an international law enforcement incident, would it not?
Uh, yeah, at the very least. Hey, new Congress, you want something else that needs real investigation? Here it is.
I'll now make note of something else from the first article:
Then there's this: An ATF Special Agent who went undercover in the Hells Angels is compelled to inform a dozen U.S. Senators of his ongoing legal battle against ATF senior management, including some startling and disturbing (to put it mildly) allegations:
[I]n retaliation for a settlement with the government, ATF recalled covert identification documents from me and my wife, and as a Significant Investigative Report, obtained only through discovery, demonstrates, the Hells Angels became the lead suspects in discovering the location of my home and burning it down with my wife and children inside. In the process, ATF scuttled the investigation and let the suspects go, never even questioning them. ATF has taken the process of retaliation to a new level, letting go of suspects of attempted murder against an agent’s family.
This mess has been around for a while. This guy managed to actually become a patched member of the Hells Angels, gathered evidence and testimony of everything from murder to drugs to prostitution to illegal arms dealing; then the BATFE brass and prosecutors managed to screw up the cases so badly that many of the accused went free, and some who were convicted were able to plead to much lesser charges. And then the HA found out who he was and went after him and his family, and BATFE did- well, I'd say 'squat to protect them' but that would give the agency too much credit. Considering how this agency treats honest cops, it's amazing there are still any in it.
No, I can't say "A few bad ones in the agency cause this" because it's been going on for too long in, from the sound of it, just about all branches; that's not a few bad apples, that's an agency with a very bad attitude.
Let's begin this with "If I'd ever done anything APPROACHING this level of
idiot, I'd have been fired on the spot":
The Punchbowl restaurant does not serve bacon or pork in accordance with Islamic law, and one employee can be heard saying "we don't have bacon" before the other begins yelling.
"Don't record me bitch!" he screams as he approaches the counter. "Don't f---ing record me!"
The employee continues to yell and smacks the cash register display on its side, before other workers grab him and lead him outside.
"I'm gonna f---in break your head bro," he says to the person filming as he is led around the corner out of sight.
Ah, but we must be sensitive and caring:
A spokesman for KFC Australia told ninemsn the employee had been suspended over the incident and offered counselling.
"KFC Australia strongly condemns the behaviour of the team member who appears in the clip and sincerely apologises for this very inappropriate reaction," the spokesman said.
because it's apparently not possible to expect muslims to behave like civilized human beings, so you have to hold them to lower standards.
What was that line about 'the bigotry of low expectations'?
What, you expected anything else from the High Court of the People's Republic of Maryland?
Speaking of the PRoM,
Alcohol may soon come with a new kind of high. It’s not stronger proof. It’s a higher tax.
Alex DeMetrick reports supporters of a “Dime a Drink Tax” think they have a shot at making it happen in Maryland.
Yes, because nothing helps recovery like higher taxes.
This is going to make some lefty heads implode:
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to send an additional 1,400 Marine combat forces to Afghanistan, officials said, in a surprise move ahead of the spring fighting season to try to cement tentative security gains before White House-mandated troop reductions begin in July.
Yeah, trust the media to bury this part of it way down in the story:
FBI special agent Manuel Johnson said the incident occurred at around 3. a.m. local time.
“Border Patrol agents were attempting to arrest alleged drug smugglers. …when bystanders began to throw rocks” at them, Johnson said. “A Border Patrol agent responded by firing a shot at an alleged rock thrower.”
Frustrated by tighter security on the U.S.-Mexico border, illegal immigrants and drug traffickers regularly pelt U.S. agents with rocks, take shots and even throw gasoline bombs.
About what you'd expect from Salon: ...then sword violence starts to look like a problem. A small problem, and a weird problem, but a problem nonetheless. So let's ban them!
And last this morning, yesterday a local radio station had the usual suspects hyperventilating because a Arizona-style law on illegal immigrants is going to be offered in the new legislature; "It will scare away (apparently only)Latinos from Oklahoma, hurt the economy", all the usual. Well, if someone is here legally it wouldn't be a problem, now would it? And if they're not, then leave. There are major highways going in various directions, and if you go south don't fall in the Red when you cross the border into Texas.
'Course, Texas isn't going to be all that welcoming, either.
The Punchbowl restaurant does not serve bacon or pork in accordance with Islamic law, and one employee can be heard saying "we don't have bacon" before the other begins yelling.
"Don't record me bitch!" he screams as he approaches the counter. "Don't f---ing record me!"
The employee continues to yell and smacks the cash register display on its side, before other workers grab him and lead him outside.
"I'm gonna f---in break your head bro," he says to the person filming as he is led around the corner out of sight.
Ah, but we must be sensitive and caring:
A spokesman for KFC Australia told ninemsn the employee had been suspended over the incident and offered counselling.
"KFC Australia strongly condemns the behaviour of the team member who appears in the clip and sincerely apologises for this very inappropriate reaction," the spokesman said.
because it's apparently not possible to expect muslims to behave like civilized human beings, so you have to hold them to lower standards.
What was that line about 'the bigotry of low expectations'?
What, you expected anything else from the High Court of the People's Republic of Maryland?
Speaking of the PRoM,
Alcohol may soon come with a new kind of high. It’s not stronger proof. It’s a higher tax.
Alex DeMetrick reports supporters of a “Dime a Drink Tax” think they have a shot at making it happen in Maryland.
Yes, because nothing helps recovery like higher taxes.
This is going to make some lefty heads implode:
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to send an additional 1,400 Marine combat forces to Afghanistan, officials said, in a surprise move ahead of the spring fighting season to try to cement tentative security gains before White House-mandated troop reductions begin in July.
Yeah, trust the media to bury this part of it way down in the story:
FBI special agent Manuel Johnson said the incident occurred at around 3. a.m. local time.
“Border Patrol agents were attempting to arrest alleged drug smugglers. …when bystanders began to throw rocks” at them, Johnson said. “A Border Patrol agent responded by firing a shot at an alleged rock thrower.”
Frustrated by tighter security on the U.S.-Mexico border, illegal immigrants and drug traffickers regularly pelt U.S. agents with rocks, take shots and even throw gasoline bombs.
About what you'd expect from Salon: ...then sword violence starts to look like a problem. A small problem, and a weird problem, but a problem nonetheless. So let's ban them!
And last this morning, yesterday a local radio station had the usual suspects hyperventilating because a Arizona-style law on illegal immigrants is going to be offered in the new legislature; "It will scare away (apparently only)Latinos from Oklahoma, hurt the economy", all the usual. Well, if someone is here legally it wouldn't be a problem, now would it? And if they're not, then leave. There are major highways going in various directions, and if you go south don't fall in the Red when you cross the border into Texas.
'Course, Texas isn't going to be all that welcoming, either.
Every time I think I've heard one of the more idiotic things ever
I find that I just wasn't waiting long enough. Remember the Zionist Attack Sharks? Well,
A vulture tagged by scientists at Tel Aviv University has strayed into Saudi Arabian territory, where it was promptly arrested on suspicion of being a Mossad spy, Israeli and Saudi media reported Tuesday.
The bird was found in a rural area of the country wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet bearing the words "Tel Aviv University", according to the reports, which surfaced first in the Israeli daily Ma'ariv.
Although these tags indicate that the bird was part of a long-term research project into migration patterns, residents and local reporters told Saudi Arabia's Al-Weeam newspaper that the matter seemed to be a "Zionist plot."
The accusations went viral, with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the "Zionists" had trained these birds for espionage.
And with visions of "I'm gonna find a baby bumblebee..."* floating through my mind, I'll leave this.
*If you've never seen the cartoon, I'm not explaining it
A vulture tagged by scientists at Tel Aviv University has strayed into Saudi Arabian territory, where it was promptly arrested on suspicion of being a Mossad spy, Israeli and Saudi media reported Tuesday.
The bird was found in a rural area of the country wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet bearing the words "Tel Aviv University", according to the reports, which surfaced first in the Israeli daily Ma'ariv.
Although these tags indicate that the bird was part of a long-term research project into migration patterns, residents and local reporters told Saudi Arabia's Al-Weeam newspaper that the matter seemed to be a "Zionist plot."
The accusations went viral, with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the "Zionists" had trained these birds for espionage.
And with visions of "I'm gonna find a baby bumblebee..."* floating through my mind, I'll leave this.
*If you've never seen the cartoon, I'm not explaining it
I got into a bit of an argument on Facebook
(yes, I know, just kind of happened) over WMDs and Iraq in which various people laughed that there were still people deluded enough to think there had been any. Well, among other things,
But, as Wired reports, the WikiLeaks documents clearly show "for years afterward, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins and uncover weapons of mass destruction. . . . Chemical weapons, especially, did not vanish from the Iraqi battlefield. Remnants of Saddam's toxic arsenal, largely destroyed after the Gulf War, remained. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict — and may have brewed up their own deadly agents."
One of the things derided in the argument was that Iraq had anything to sneak into Syria:
Of note too is a January 2004 revelation by Syrian journalist defector Nizar Nayuf. He reported there were three locations in Syria where Iraqi WMDs had been transported prior to the 2003 invasion and were being stored. He also revealed some of these sites were being built with North Korean cooperation. This explained why three years later Israel attacked a nuclear facility being built in Syria by Pyongyang — and Syria’s subsequent failure to criticize Israel for fear of drawing further international attention to what Damascus had been doing.
And, which nobody wanted to remember,
Five years after Joe Wilson’s op-ed claimed no yellowcake was sold to Iraq — the ease with which Saddam could have snapped his fingers and reinstituted his nuclear program became apparent. In July 2008, in an operation kept secret at the time, 37 military air cargo flights shipped more than 500 metric tons of yellowcake — found in Iraq — out of the country for further transport and remediation to Canada.
Gee, I wonder why most of the media isn't talking about this part of the released documents?
(Yes, I know, that question is about as useful as an argument on Facebook)
But, as Wired reports, the WikiLeaks documents clearly show "for years afterward, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins and uncover weapons of mass destruction. . . . Chemical weapons, especially, did not vanish from the Iraqi battlefield. Remnants of Saddam's toxic arsenal, largely destroyed after the Gulf War, remained. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict — and may have brewed up their own deadly agents."
One of the things derided in the argument was that Iraq had anything to sneak into Syria:
Of note too is a January 2004 revelation by Syrian journalist defector Nizar Nayuf. He reported there were three locations in Syria where Iraqi WMDs had been transported prior to the 2003 invasion and were being stored. He also revealed some of these sites were being built with North Korean cooperation. This explained why three years later Israel attacked a nuclear facility being built in Syria by Pyongyang — and Syria’s subsequent failure to criticize Israel for fear of drawing further international attention to what Damascus had been doing.
And, which nobody wanted to remember,
Five years after Joe Wilson’s op-ed claimed no yellowcake was sold to Iraq — the ease with which Saddam could have snapped his fingers and reinstituted his nuclear program became apparent. In July 2008, in an operation kept secret at the time, 37 military air cargo flights shipped more than 500 metric tons of yellowcake — found in Iraq — out of the country for further transport and remediation to Canada.
Gee, I wonder why most of the media isn't talking about this part of the released documents?
(Yes, I know, that question is about as useful as an argument on Facebook)
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Remember I mentioned I picked up a neat little flashlight at Tulsa?
You didn't? Well, it's one of these
Found the pic here; and it's something. It's about an inch longer than the AAA battery that powers it; 3 light levels, turn it on by turning the head and then bump it off & on to go to the next brightness. I've been using it off & on since mid-November and the battery is still going strong.
And if you decide to put together a mini emergency kit similar to this, it'll fit in.
I originally saw a link to a kit like that at someone's blog(I think Tam's, but can't find it right now) and it was more of a 'carry around with you kit'. If I can find that, I'll add it
Found the pic here; and it's something. It's about an inch longer than the AAA battery that powers it; 3 light levels, turn it on by turning the head and then bump it off & on to go to the next brightness. I've been using it off & on since mid-November and the battery is still going strong.
And if you decide to put together a mini emergency kit similar to this, it'll fit in.
I originally saw a link to a kit like that at someone's blog(I think Tam's, but can't find it right now) and it was more of a 'carry around with you kit'. If I can find that, I'll add it
The University of Utah has created a secret policy
whereby its police officers are instructed in how to harass and intimidate law abiding gun owners by trumping up non-gun charges for perfectly lawful conduct. This policy violates both the letter and spirit of State Law and binding State Supreme Court ruling. Keeping such a policy secret violates sound notions of openness and transparency in government.
Ok, two things:
First, this kind of crap NEVER stays secret. Never. Ever.
Second, werethese friggin' idiotsthe campus brass wanting to get the university sued? Because when word of this did get out, it was just about bound to happen.
Ok, two things:
First, this kind of crap NEVER stays secret. Never. Ever.
Second, were
PS: Marxism is intellectualism
for stupid people – and, believe me: if you’ve got books by Stalin in your library and you’re using those books to look for ideas… yes, you are a stupid person.
Insty adds Or, you know, evil.
Insty adds Or, you know, evil.
From Robb Allen on the new Ruger
At 2:00, Ruger plans on announcing their newest line of KelTec Clones. But what makes this revolutionary is not the pistol, but their patented “Precall” system.
5 minutes before the official release, Ruger will be recalling the LC9, signaling an unprecedented commitment to customer support.
I for one am amazed!
That there is some high-grade snark.
5 minutes before the official release, Ruger will be recalling the LC9, signaling an unprecedented commitment to customer support.
I for one am amazed!
That there is some high-grade snark.
When he gets rolling...
(Pelosi)She is crazy, batshit crazy! I guarantee you that woman sleeps upside down!
That's found right at the end of this video; earlier he probably guaranteed himself a fatwa.
That's found right at the end of this video; earlier he probably guaranteed himself a fatwa.
On the Wikileaks stuff,
I didn't see any legitimate way for us to prosecute him; foreign national, was not in the US, etc.(Manning, on the other hand, we can legitimately hang). There may be some kind of espionage law that can be used against him, but I don't know enough on the subject to say.
On the other side, I can definitely say Assange is a vile piece of dog vomit who was so busy playing games and pretending to be someone important that he couldn't take the time to, say, redact names and such that would get people killed. Or, more likely, he didn't care. "Not my problem, and I'm getting the publicity I want!" For example:
And so, where Mugabe's strong-arming, torture and assassination attempts have failed to eliminate the leading figure of Zimbabwe's democratic opposition, WikiLeaks may yet succeed. Twenty years of sacrifice and suffering by Tsvangirai all for naught, as WikiLeaks risks "collateral murder" in the name of transparency.
Oh, and let's not forget 'journalists' like the NYE' Times who've had no problem publishing all his releases(but wouldn't publish any of the CRU e-mails because 'they were wrongly obtained).
On the other side, I can definitely say Assange is a vile piece of dog vomit who was so busy playing games and pretending to be someone important that he couldn't take the time to, say, redact names and such that would get people killed. Or, more likely, he didn't care. "Not my problem, and I'm getting the publicity I want!" For example:
And so, where Mugabe's strong-arming, torture and assassination attempts have failed to eliminate the leading figure of Zimbabwe's democratic opposition, WikiLeaks may yet succeed. Twenty years of sacrifice and suffering by Tsvangirai all for naught, as WikiLeaks risks "collateral murder" in the name of transparency.
Oh, and let's not forget 'journalists' like the NYE' Times who've had no problem publishing all his releases(but wouldn't publish any of the CRU e-mails because 'they were wrongly obtained).
My God, that Ashley Smithwick is a threat! She actually
PUSHED ANOTHER STUDENT a year ago!
What do you want to bet this getting out was the somewhat veiled threat from the school weenies? Except she released the records herself, taking the fangs out of that.
This is what caused this line?
Dr. Moss said he read these records numerous times before making his decision about Smithwick, a decision he said is fair.
The earlier decision that, for a lunch bag mixup, she should be thrown out of school? That 'fair' decision?
What do you want to bet this getting out was the somewhat veiled threat from the school weenies? Except she released the records herself, taking the fangs out of that.
This is what caused this line?
Dr. Moss said he read these records numerous times before making his decision about Smithwick, a decision he said is fair.
The earlier decision that, for a lunch bag mixup, she should be thrown out of school? That 'fair' decision?
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
I shall lead off this morning with a question
If this is so environmentally-friendly a way to dispose of your body, does a unicorn piss out the liquid nitrogen? Do the chemicals to dissolve the body magically appear in a jar, and go away in the same manner?
I'm not sure who ought to replace Michael Steele as head of the Stupid Party, but he SHOULD be replaced. Not only is he a dirtbag who helps the other side, he's apparently trying to claim some credit for the tea party movement(well, pissing people off to that level definitely helped the movement, but still).
And, just in case the Stupid Party hasn't figured this out, if they put another left-leaning Steele-type in the position, they can count on donations dropping even more.
Under the headline, "Construction Stops at Physician Hospitals," Politico reports today that "Physician Hospitals of America says that construction had to stop at 45 hospitals nationwide or they would not be able to bill Medicare for treatments." Stopping construction at doctor-owned hospitals might not seem like the best way to boost the economy or to promote greater access and choice in health care, but that exactly what Obamacare is doing.
And after that, I've got nothin'. Which usually doesn't stop me from making noise, but it has this time.
I'm not sure who ought to replace Michael Steele as head of the Stupid Party, but he SHOULD be replaced. Not only is he a dirtbag who helps the other side, he's apparently trying to claim some credit for the tea party movement(well, pissing people off to that level definitely helped the movement, but still).
And, just in case the Stupid Party hasn't figured this out, if they put another left-leaning Steele-type in the position, they can count on donations dropping even more.
Under the headline, "Construction Stops at Physician Hospitals," Politico reports today that "Physician Hospitals of America says that construction had to stop at 45 hospitals nationwide or they would not be able to bill Medicare for treatments." Stopping construction at doctor-owned hospitals might not seem like the best way to boost the economy or to promote greater access and choice in health care, but that exactly what Obamacare is doing.
And after that, I've got nothin'. Which usually doesn't stop me from making noise, but it has this time.
I've come to the conclusion that Japete isn't confused
or uncertain of the facts; she's a damned liar, period.
Airsoft, for Deity's sake!
I looked at the comments, and the last one was her: after multiple times having it pointed out how horrendously expensive any actual automatic or select-fire weapon is(let alone things like grenade launchers and grenades), the background checks and taxes and so on, she says she 'hopes' that things like this are hard to obtain...
Yeah, for law-abiding people, they are. For drug cartels who import them from overseas or further south(Central & South America), not so much.
Airsoft, for Deity's sake!
I looked at the comments, and the last one was her: after multiple times having it pointed out how horrendously expensive any actual automatic or select-fire weapon is(let alone things like grenade launchers and grenades), the background checks and taxes and so on, she says she 'hopes' that things like this are hard to obtain...
Yeah, for law-abiding people, they are. For drug cartels who import them from overseas or further south(Central & South America), not so much.
Monday, January 03, 2011
In the last two days gas went up
another dime/gallon.
But we're not allowed to explore, let alone drill, in vast amounts of our territory*. While Obama helps Brazil drill, while Cuba and China are drilling in the Gulf.
Salazar ought to be incorporated into a drilling bit. And Sheriff Joe and Obama given- ah, let's not go there, I'm too pissed to be delicate in my language.
*And let us not forget, that in some places where it's not banned, they're effectively carrying out a ban by simply not giving approval to start drilling.
But we're not allowed to explore, let alone drill, in vast amounts of our territory*. While Obama helps Brazil drill, while Cuba and China are drilling in the Gulf.
Salazar ought to be incorporated into a drilling bit. And Sheriff Joe and Obama given- ah, let's not go there, I'm too pissed to be delicate in my language.
*And let us not forget, that in some places where it's not banned, they're effectively carrying out a ban by simply not giving approval to start drilling.
Schwarzenegger takes a tip from Obama
Obama sent Empty-Hat Salazar out to say "Oh, we decided to ban oil & gas exploration & drilling in these areas after all"; Schwarzenegger demonstrates a fine manner of cowardice and dirtbaggery in doing this:
So, how did Schwarzenegger leave office? By committing one last shameful act of back-scratching politics as usual and granting a commutation to the son of a Democrat political crony, former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (his longtime collaborator on job-killing environmental regulations) .
Nunez’s privileged son, Esteban, was serving 16 years (already a reduced sentence resulting from a plea bargain) for his role in the vengeful stabbing/manslaughter of a college student, Luis Santos. Nunez and other defendants were involved in a conspiracy to cover up the crime, according to another member of their gang. Before he pleaded guilty, Nunez had his lawyers trying to blame the victim for his death. Oh, and there’s this damning piece of responsibility-evading crap from Nunez that was admitted as evidence before Nunez ducked trial:
“Gangsta rap made us do it.”
The family of the murder victim?
Santos, a software engineer in Concord in Northern California, said Esteban Nuñez “had already gotten lucky once” when prosecutors accepted a plea bargain that allowed him to avoid standing trial on murder charges, which could have led to a life sentence.
He said the family was not warned about the impending commutation and learned about it Sunday from reporters.
Absolutely friggin' disgusting.
So, how did Schwarzenegger leave office? By committing one last shameful act of back-scratching politics as usual and granting a commutation to the son of a Democrat political crony, former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (his longtime collaborator on job-killing environmental regulations) .
Nunez’s privileged son, Esteban, was serving 16 years (already a reduced sentence resulting from a plea bargain) for his role in the vengeful stabbing/manslaughter of a college student, Luis Santos. Nunez and other defendants were involved in a conspiracy to cover up the crime, according to another member of their gang. Before he pleaded guilty, Nunez had his lawyers trying to blame the victim for his death. Oh, and there’s this damning piece of responsibility-evading crap from Nunez that was admitted as evidence before Nunez ducked trial:
“Gangsta rap made us do it.”
The family of the murder victim?
Santos, a software engineer in Concord in Northern California, said Esteban Nuñez “had already gotten lucky once” when prosecutors accepted a plea bargain that allowed him to avoid standing trial on murder charges, which could have led to a life sentence.
He said the family was not warned about the impending commutation and learned about it Sunday from reporters.
Absolutely friggin' disgusting.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Interesting piece of hardware
to be sure. I have a hard time buying the 'exact location' and 'even if the enemy moves' stuff. But giving troops a reasonably close vector toward where the shot came from, maybe even a range estimate... possible, I'd guess.
Remember Bill Holda? The university president
who made false statements about the Luby's massacre(among other things)?
Tam points to information that at least, unlike so many academics, he's apparently actually dealing with the facts and learning about guns.
However.
Tam, you don't have to worry about crow. To borrow from AT in comments,
This gentleman is an academic. An intelligent man in a responsible position who probably makes official position statements to his board, his faculty, his student body - and the media - on a regular basis.
So either he does so entirely out of his ass (idiot), or he intentionally makes false statements when he believes the ends justify his means (liar).
I applaud popgun for reaching out to give the doctor some actual experience and knowledge, and the doctor for taking it. Let's hope there has been a real change in his perspective that he will use to guide the young minds over which he has substantial sway, making "factual" statements backed by actual facts instead of the partisan dogma that so thoroughly saturates his profession.
But that doesn't mean he wasn't an idiot, or a liar, or both...when he gave that teevee interview.
And it doesn't mean you were wrong to say so.
Indeed. Yeah, maybe a bit harsh, but pretty accurate.
Tam points to information that at least, unlike so many academics, he's apparently actually dealing with the facts and learning about guns.
However.
Tam, you don't have to worry about crow. To borrow from AT in comments,
This gentleman is an academic. An intelligent man in a responsible position who probably makes official position statements to his board, his faculty, his student body - and the media - on a regular basis.
So either he does so entirely out of his ass (idiot), or he intentionally makes false statements when he believes the ends justify his means (liar).
I applaud popgun for reaching out to give the doctor some actual experience and knowledge, and the doctor for taking it. Let's hope there has been a real change in his perspective that he will use to guide the young minds over which he has substantial sway, making "factual" statements backed by actual facts instead of the partisan dogma that so thoroughly saturates his profession.
But that doesn't mean he wasn't an idiot, or a liar, or both...when he gave that teevee interview.
And it doesn't mean you were wrong to say so.
Indeed. Yeah, maybe a bit harsh, but pretty accurate.
Just because it should be remembered what (fG)Britain
used to include:
In Britain, however, the image of violent America remains unassailably entrenched. Never mind the findings of the International Crime Victims Survey (published by the Home Office in 2003), indicating that we now suffer three times the level of violent crime committed in the United States; never mind the doubling of handgun crime in Britain over the past decade, since we banned pistols outright and confiscated all the legal ones.
We are so self-congratulatory about our officially disarmed society, and so dismissive of colonial rednecks, that we have forgotten that within living memory British citizens could buy any gun – rifle, pistol, or machinegun – without any licence. When Dr Watson walked the streets of London with a revolver in his pocket, he was a perfectly ordinary Victorian or Edwardian. Charlotte Brontë recalled that her curate father fastened his watch and pocketed his pistol every morning when he got dressed; Beatrix Potter remarked on a Yorkshire country hotel where only one of the eight or nine guests was not carrying a revolver; in 1909, policemen in Tottenham borrowed at least four pistols from passers-by (and were joined by other armed citizens) when they set off in pursuit of two anarchists unwise enough to attempt an armed robbery. We now are shocked that so many ordinary people should have been carrying guns in the street; the Edwardians were shocked rather by the idea of an armed robbery.
If armed crime in London in the years before the First World War amounted to less than 2 per cent of that we suffer today, it was not simply because society then was more stable. Edwardian Britain was rocked by a series of massive strikes in which lives were lost and troops deployed, and suffragette incendiaries, anarchist bombers, Fenians, and the spectre of a revolutionary general strike made Britain then arguably a much more turbulent place than it is today. In that unstable society the impact of the widespread carrying of arms was not inflammatory, it was deterrent of violence.
TSA Scorecard
2010 statistics on Airport screening from the Department of Homeland Security
Terrorist Plots Discovered 0
Transvestites 133
Hernias 1,485
Hemorrhoid Cases 3,172
Enlarged Prostates 8,249
Breast Implants 59,350
Natural Blondes 3
Stolen from Theo
On the subject of the sanitation 'workers' in NYEffin'C,
add this to the other crap:
It was a real snow job.
Between 660 and 720 Sanitation workers called in sick for the cleanup of last week's blizzard -- more than double the usual rate, The Post has learned.
About 11 to 12 percent of the Sanitation Department's 6,000-strong force didn't show up for work on Monday or Tuesday, city officials confirmed, as 20 inches of snow brought the Apple to a near-standstill.
My answer: "Let's see a doctor's appointment. Or a prescription. Oh, don't have one? Next time this happens you don't get sick pay." Something along those lines.
I spent four years as a dispatcher for a LE agency, then a bunch more years in another division of said agency in a 24/7 office. It was shift work, and the rule for bad weather was simple: "You are considered essential personnel, so you have to be here. Roads are icy or snow-covered? All state government offices closed? Doesn't matter; you have to be here to keep this section running." And, with rare exceptions, we all did.
So this 'slowdown' bullshit in NYE'C gets absolutely no sympathy from me(even discounting the injuries and death it contributed to), and the "I'm not coming in, I'm sick" when they're not bullshit none. As in "People ought to be fired for this bullshit." Not only are they causing actual harm to people- well, hell, for that alone screw 'em.
Oh, and what do these clowns get paid in overtime? We didn't get a damned penny extra, just comp time(whenever it would be possible to take it).
So fire the bastards who set this up, and prosecute the bastards where possible.
It was a real snow job.
Between 660 and 720 Sanitation workers called in sick for the cleanup of last week's blizzard -- more than double the usual rate, The Post has learned.
About 11 to 12 percent of the Sanitation Department's 6,000-strong force didn't show up for work on Monday or Tuesday, city officials confirmed, as 20 inches of snow brought the Apple to a near-standstill.
My answer: "Let's see a doctor's appointment. Or a prescription. Oh, don't have one? Next time this happens you don't get sick pay." Something along those lines.
I spent four years as a dispatcher for a LE agency, then a bunch more years in another division of said agency in a 24/7 office. It was shift work, and the rule for bad weather was simple: "You are considered essential personnel, so you have to be here. Roads are icy or snow-covered? All state government offices closed? Doesn't matter; you have to be here to keep this section running." And, with rare exceptions, we all did.
So this 'slowdown' bullshit in NYE'C gets absolutely no sympathy from me(even discounting the injuries and death it contributed to), and the "I'm not coming in, I'm sick" when they're not bullshit none. As in "People ought to be fired for this bullshit." Not only are they causing actual harm to people- well, hell, for that alone screw 'em.
Oh, and what do these clowns get paid in overtime? We didn't get a damned penny extra, just comp time(whenever it would be possible to take it).
So fire the bastards who set this up, and prosecute the bastards where possible.
Having suffered through a horrible thing doesn't entitle you
to screw over other people. Ref Colin Goddard, one of the Virginia Tech victims, wanting to disarm EVERYBODY:
I have heard more ignorant arguments, but they came from inanimate matter.
I have heard more ignorant arguments, but they came from inanimate matter.
Look, Colin, you waste of oxygen: MAKING AN ILLEGAL THING MORE ILLEGAL WILL NOT PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING.
How ignorant do you have to be? Every Goddamned instructor at Virginia Tech ought to have their ASSES FIRED POSTHASTE. They are not producing students capable of even the most rudimentary reason.
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