say unkind things about BATFE, Dave Codrea points to this article on their rigorous testing procedures:
"Len told me," Whitesides reveals, "that the access locking plate had as much to do with firing automatic as the sight on the end of the barrel. Cooney's not a technician, he's an enforcement officer."
Cooney admitted that he had never even disassembled and inspected the rifle, but had written his report based on test-firing the weapon. Savage then disassembled it on camera, displaying the broken parts, as the BATFE agent fell silent, looking increasingly embarrassed.
As he should. He almost destroyed a man's life, and he didn't even know what he was doing.
Just bloody marvelous, isn't it? I'll try to find it later, about a year ago there was an article noting that a man in a similar situation finally forced at BATFE official to admit- in court, under oath- that they had no standard tests or testing procedure for such matters; they just went by what the 'experienced agent' decided was a proper test. Supposedly they started writing the manual shortly after this, but that may just have been window dressing. And considering this kind of crap has been going on for a long time, and that Sullivan, who Ted Kennedy(Miserable Human, MA) desperately wants as permanent head of the agency seems to think this kind of crap is just fine, we should be very happy for those senators who've been unwilling to roll over and pass his appointment.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
This one brings back
a memory. No, I didn't answer the door naked(well, once, but- nevermind), a friend sort-of did.
Back in my time in college, one member of the group I ran around with was a girl whose warm weather uniform was cutoffs and a tank top. No bra, of course. Didn't walk around flashing people, that was just what she was comfortable in when it was hot. One day she heard something outside, looked out the window and saw a couple of the earnest young men in white shirts and black pants & ties on bicycles in the street, heading toward the door.
She thought a moment along the lines of "How the hell do I get rid of them?" She must've been a bit flustered, because I'd always thought she'd open the door, yell "F*** Off!" and slam it, or something equally brief. In this case, when they knocked she opened the door and kind of lounged against the frame, arm on the frame side up and said "Yesss?" in her best voice(she demonstrated when she told the story; there oughta be a law against something like that). Two very flustered young guys sputtered and hemmed a minute, then one said "We'd like to talk to you about the book of Mormon."
She leaned a little further over- which must've come damn close to popping something out of the top- and said "Really? I'm Church of Satan myself." in the most "are you edible?" tone she could put on.
They left. The house, the street and- apparently- the neighborhood.
What can I say, Leslie had a gift.
Back in my time in college, one member of the group I ran around with was a girl whose warm weather uniform was cutoffs and a tank top. No bra, of course. Didn't walk around flashing people, that was just what she was comfortable in when it was hot. One day she heard something outside, looked out the window and saw a couple of the earnest young men in white shirts and black pants & ties on bicycles in the street, heading toward the door.
She thought a moment along the lines of "How the hell do I get rid of them?" She must've been a bit flustered, because I'd always thought she'd open the door, yell "F*** Off!" and slam it, or something equally brief. In this case, when they knocked she opened the door and kind of lounged against the frame, arm on the frame side up and said "Yesss?" in her best voice(she demonstrated when she told the story; there oughta be a law against something like that). Two very flustered young guys sputtered and hemmed a minute, then one said "We'd like to talk to you about the book of Mormon."
She leaned a little further over- which must've come damn close to popping something out of the top- and said "Really? I'm Church of Satan myself." in the most "are you edible?" tone she could put on.
They left. The house, the street and- apparently- the neighborhood.
What can I say, Leslie had a gift.
I think another roundup is in order
In the "Britain down the toilet" and "Idiot Judge" combined categories, we have this:
Paul Hannam, 39, was beaten unconscious as he attempted to defend 12-year-old son Josh from an unprovoked assault outside a Chinese takeaway.
...
But incredibly Judge Timothy Clayson let the four yobs charged over the attack walk free from Bolton Crown Court with suspended jail terms. He said it was because they saved the cost of a trial by pleading guilty.
You just can't make crap like this up.
Next, in the "Why the hell were any of those boats still floating?" section, we have the opinion of Ralph Peters:
On Sunday, the Iranians tested us. We failed. They'll probe us again. And every time we fail to react decisively, we raise the number of future US casualties.
Remember the USS Cole? You bet the Iranians do. They plan to better that attack by an order of magnitude.
For almost 70 years, we've deployed the finest navy in the history of the world. But it looks increasingly as if we've gone from "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" to "Will this interfere with my next promotion?"
Two things: first, whatever idiot gave the orders that both let the Iranians get that close(200 Freakin' Meters!) AND let them get away should have their rank stripped and be thrown out of the service. Second, we can be sure it was some high-ranking idiot who cares more about politics(and his star, or next star) than about the men and ships. Who, for that reason also, ought to be made to walk a damn plank.
In the "ATF Follies", it seems that Acting Director Sullivan isn't exactly winning friends and influencing people. At least not the way he wants to. (found this one through Uncle)
And we have a new entry in the "Harry Reid Is A Statist Prick With A Thin Skin" field:
Richard Viguerie, a conservative “grassroots” lobbyist, defines the legal gobbledegook as follows:
And finally, in the "Best Description of the UN" category, this from Theo.
And on a personal level, one description of a not overly good day:
Up all day yesterday.
Go to work with(due to circumstances) about 1.5 hours sleep, work beginning at midnight.
Don't try to sleep during the day because A: I tend to get headaches when I take naps, and B: it'll mess up my being able to sleep tonight.
In a state of worn-out this afternoon, hear the report of the booby-trapped house killing six troops. In the region where you think the offspring is. That's not good to hear at any time, exhaustion just makes it worse.
Paul Hannam, 39, was beaten unconscious as he attempted to defend 12-year-old son Josh from an unprovoked assault outside a Chinese takeaway.
...
But incredibly Judge Timothy Clayson let the four yobs charged over the attack walk free from Bolton Crown Court with suspended jail terms. He said it was because they saved the cost of a trial by pleading guilty.
You just can't make crap like this up.
Next, in the "Why the hell were any of those boats still floating?" section, we have the opinion of Ralph Peters:
On Sunday, the Iranians tested us. We failed. They'll probe us again. And every time we fail to react decisively, we raise the number of future US casualties.
Remember the USS Cole? You bet the Iranians do. They plan to better that attack by an order of magnitude.
For almost 70 years, we've deployed the finest navy in the history of the world. But it looks increasingly as if we've gone from "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" to "Will this interfere with my next promotion?"
Two things: first, whatever idiot gave the orders that both let the Iranians get that close(200 Freakin' Meters!) AND let them get away should have their rank stripped and be thrown out of the service. Second, we can be sure it was some high-ranking idiot who cares more about politics(and his star, or next star) than about the men and ships. Who, for that reason also, ought to be made to walk a damn plank.
In the "ATF Follies", it seems that Acting Director Sullivan isn't exactly winning friends and influencing people. At least not the way he wants to. (found this one through Uncle)
And we have a new entry in the "Harry Reid Is A Statist Prick With A Thin Skin" field:
Richard Viguerie, a conservative “grassroots” lobbyist, defines the legal gobbledegook as follows:
“Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before theSenate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself.Lamppost, rope, politician...
“The bill would require reporting of ‘paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,’ but defines ‘paid’ merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers.
And finally, in the "Best Description of the UN" category, this from Theo.
And on a personal level, one description of a not overly good day:
Up all day yesterday.
Go to work with(due to circumstances) about 1.5 hours sleep, work beginning at midnight.
Don't try to sleep during the day because A: I tend to get headaches when I take naps, and B: it'll mess up my being able to sleep tonight.
In a state of worn-out this afternoon, hear the report of the booby-trapped house killing six troops. In the region where you think the offspring is. That's not good to hear at any time, exhaustion just makes it worse.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Speaking of misuse of a SWAT team(and other things)
as Kevin says, read this. Be fully prepared to be so pissed your vision blurs.
The paramedics who entered the home without permission, the sheriff, the 'social services' weenie, the magistrate, ALL should be sued for everything they have or will have. There is flatly no excuse for this bullshit. I'm especially pissed at the sheriff over this part:
The sheriff said the decision to use SWAT team force was justified because the father was a "self-proclaimed constitutionalist" and had made threats and "comments" over the years.
However, the sheriff declined to provide a single instance of the father's illegal behavior. "I can't tell you specifically," he said.
"He was refusing to provide medical care," the sheriff said.
However, the sheriff said if his own children were involved in an at-home accident, he would want to be the one to make decisions on their healthcare, as did Shiflett.
"I guess if that was one of my children, I would make that decision," the sheriff said.
But he said Shiflett was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission.
He was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission." Well, no shit, you sorry attempting-to-cover-my-ass excuse for a lawman. You should not be carrying a badge if this is how you normally conduct business, and you fully deserve to be vilified for this crap.
Assuming the 'sheriff' was at all justified in even going to the house, this called for a deputy showing up with a court order, NOT THE EFFING SWAT TEAM BREAKING IN THE DOORS AND STICKING GUNS IN FACES.
What Sailor Curt says...
The paramedics who entered the home without permission, the sheriff, the 'social services' weenie, the magistrate, ALL should be sued for everything they have or will have. There is flatly no excuse for this bullshit. I'm especially pissed at the sheriff over this part:
The sheriff said the decision to use SWAT team force was justified because the father was a "self-proclaimed constitutionalist" and had made threats and "comments" over the years.
However, the sheriff declined to provide a single instance of the father's illegal behavior. "I can't tell you specifically," he said.
"He was refusing to provide medical care," the sheriff said.
However, the sheriff said if his own children were involved in an at-home accident, he would want to be the one to make decisions on their healthcare, as did Shiflett.
"I guess if that was one of my children, I would make that decision," the sheriff said.
But he said Shiflett was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission.
He was "rude and confrontational" when the paramedics arrived and entered his home without his permission." Well, no shit, you sorry attempting-to-cover-my-ass excuse for a lawman. You should not be carrying a badge if this is how you normally conduct business, and you fully deserve to be vilified for this crap.
Assuming the 'sheriff' was at all justified in even going to the house, this called for a deputy showing up with a court order, NOT THE EFFING SWAT TEAM BREAKING IN THE DOORS AND STICKING GUNS IN FACES.
What Sailor Curt says...
Monday, January 07, 2008
Time for another roundup
Mexico is pissed at us. Again. Because we won't collectively kiss their ass and open our border.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 7 -- Mexico's foreign minister accused U.S. presidential candidates Monday of worsening an already "adverse climate" for Mexican migrants and vowed to redouble efforts to protect the rights of her country's citizens now living and working in the United States.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a conference for Mexican diplomats here, Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano said "being effective in the defense and support of the migrants implies treating them the same way whether they are in Mexico or outside of the country." She did not specify what steps would be taken.
Miss Cantellano, there's a name for your 'migrants' who snuck over the border: Illegal Aliens. And the primary right they have is to be thrown the hell out of this country. Screw you and the horse you rode in on. And you'll just love this:
But Calderón and his top lieutenants have been increasingly willing to complain about U.S. politics, even as they push the U.S. Congress to approve President Bush's proposed aid package to help Mexico fight drug cartels, one of the largest bilateral proposals in history.
You go right ahead and complain, Mr. Calderón, at the same time you're begging for all that money, and a good many of us will tell you to kiss our ass.
Next, bodies in a lot of German cemetaries aren't decaying, they're turning to wax.
McCain is now saying he'll secure the borders. Everyone who believes him stop smoking that crap and return to reality. He also says "Osama bin Laden is complaining the Sunni tribes are coming over to our side," he said of Iraq. "By the way, I will get Osama bin Laden. I will follow him to the gates of hell. He is someone who must be brought to justice." I'm afraid he'd have to go a bit further than the gates; Ossie has been roasting in a lower level since he assumed ambient temperature(the pieces of him, at least) at Tora Bora. But it makes a nice sound bite from the nasty little bastard.
I don't watch the debates, so I hadn't heard this piece of garbage before:
The most disappointing answer came from Barack Obama, the frontrunner in the race and a candidate who touts himself as one who would end political polarization in Washington and forge bipartisan solutions. But he's not likely to produce any bipartisanship on Iraq.
Obama claimed the decision by Sunnis in Iraq to embrace American forces was a response to the Democratic capture of Congress in the 2006 election. Sunnis in Anbar province "started to see, after the Democrats were elected in 2006, you know what?" They saw the likelihood of a withdrawal of U.S. troops and feared they "would be left very vulnerable to the Shias," Obama said. So they joined the Americans.
I can't decide if he was simply trying to make the nutroots a little happier with him, stupid enough to actually believe this or throwing this out because he thought it made himself sound Great Leader-ish.(Yeah, I know, I should listen to the damn things, but most of the time I just can't stand to)
Speaking of Obama, if you have the stomach for one of the most suck-up articles you'll ever read, go here. For example:
He hopes to move America beyond the social ructions of the 1960s and away from a foreign policy built by leaders who do not understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of US power.
Mr Obama suggests that the victims of Darfur, gazing up at a helicopter containing fact-finding senators, will feel hatred rather than gratitude. His supporters believe that the election of a president such as him will single-handedly transform the attitude of a Muslim student sitting in a madrassa in Pakistan.
Besides the "May we kiss your ass, oh Great One?" attitude of the article, don't you just love that quote? Never mind that the 'victims of Darfur' would really like to be on the receiving end of US power, by us stomping the raping, murdering, slaving dirtbags who prey on them. Or at least giving them some weapons and training so they can protect themselves. If they feel hatred for 'fact-finding senators' it's because the chickenshits don't want to do anything except talk. and blow hot air. Screw you, Obama.
And we have the Times advising President Bush to be careful about giving the Iranians a chance to 'tweak our tail'. If the Iranians are stupid enough to actually try something while he's over there, I don't think they'll like the result. First, I doubt the Navy has any orders not to be 'overly confrontational' like the Brit Navy did: the boobs try to take some of our people and the fight will be on(and I'm pretty sure the Navy- and everyone else- is gaming it and updating plans just in case). Second, I'm fairly sure the Iranians have a leash on their more demented* people, having a pretty good idea what'll happen if one of them actually does something seen as an attempt on Bush. The Pres. has pissed me off immensely on a number of points, but I very much doubt he'd tell our forces not to act in the event of such.
I think that about covers it for now. Especially since I have boomsticks to clean.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 7 -- Mexico's foreign minister accused U.S. presidential candidates Monday of worsening an already "adverse climate" for Mexican migrants and vowed to redouble efforts to protect the rights of her country's citizens now living and working in the United States.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a conference for Mexican diplomats here, Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa Cantellano said "being effective in the defense and support of the migrants implies treating them the same way whether they are in Mexico or outside of the country." She did not specify what steps would be taken.
Miss Cantellano, there's a name for your 'migrants' who snuck over the border: Illegal Aliens. And the primary right they have is to be thrown the hell out of this country. Screw you and the horse you rode in on. And you'll just love this:
But Calderón and his top lieutenants have been increasingly willing to complain about U.S. politics, even as they push the U.S. Congress to approve President Bush's proposed aid package to help Mexico fight drug cartels, one of the largest bilateral proposals in history.
You go right ahead and complain, Mr. Calderón, at the same time you're begging for all that money, and a good many of us will tell you to kiss our ass.
Next, bodies in a lot of German cemetaries aren't decaying, they're turning to wax.
McCain is now saying he'll secure the borders. Everyone who believes him stop smoking that crap and return to reality. He also says "Osama bin Laden is complaining the Sunni tribes are coming over to our side," he said of Iraq. "By the way, I will get Osama bin Laden. I will follow him to the gates of hell. He is someone who must be brought to justice." I'm afraid he'd have to go a bit further than the gates; Ossie has been roasting in a lower level since he assumed ambient temperature(the pieces of him, at least) at Tora Bora. But it makes a nice sound bite from the nasty little bastard.
I don't watch the debates, so I hadn't heard this piece of garbage before:
The most disappointing answer came from Barack Obama, the frontrunner in the race and a candidate who touts himself as one who would end political polarization in Washington and forge bipartisan solutions. But he's not likely to produce any bipartisanship on Iraq.
Obama claimed the decision by Sunnis in Iraq to embrace American forces was a response to the Democratic capture of Congress in the 2006 election. Sunnis in Anbar province "started to see, after the Democrats were elected in 2006, you know what?" They saw the likelihood of a withdrawal of U.S. troops and feared they "would be left very vulnerable to the Shias," Obama said. So they joined the Americans.
I can't decide if he was simply trying to make the nutroots a little happier with him, stupid enough to actually believe this or throwing this out because he thought it made himself sound Great Leader-ish.(Yeah, I know, I should listen to the damn things, but most of the time I just can't stand to)
Speaking of Obama, if you have the stomach for one of the most suck-up articles you'll ever read, go here. For example:
He hopes to move America beyond the social ructions of the 1960s and away from a foreign policy built by leaders who do not understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of US power.
Mr Obama suggests that the victims of Darfur, gazing up at a helicopter containing fact-finding senators, will feel hatred rather than gratitude. His supporters believe that the election of a president such as him will single-handedly transform the attitude of a Muslim student sitting in a madrassa in Pakistan.
Besides the "May we kiss your ass, oh Great One?" attitude of the article, don't you just love that quote? Never mind that the 'victims of Darfur' would really like to be on the receiving end of US power, by us stomping the raping, murdering, slaving dirtbags who prey on them. Or at least giving them some weapons and training so they can protect themselves. If they feel hatred for 'fact-finding senators' it's because the chickenshits don't want to do anything except talk. and blow hot air. Screw you, Obama.
And we have the Times advising President Bush to be careful about giving the Iranians a chance to 'tweak our tail'. If the Iranians are stupid enough to actually try something while he's over there, I don't think they'll like the result. First, I doubt the Navy has any orders not to be 'overly confrontational' like the Brit Navy did: the boobs try to take some of our people and the fight will be on(and I'm pretty sure the Navy- and everyone else- is gaming it and updating plans just in case). Second, I'm fairly sure the Iranians have a leash on their more demented* people, having a pretty good idea what'll happen if one of them actually does something seen as an attempt on Bush. The Pres. has pissed me off immensely on a number of points, but I very much doubt he'd tell our forces not to act in the event of such.
I think that about covers it for now. Especially since I have boomsticks to clean.
If you want to give Fred Thompson an assist,
take a look here.
Got a couple of things in the background I'm not thrilled about, but compared to the other candidates? On both sides? I have to go with Fred.
Got a couple of things in the background I'm not thrilled about, but compared to the other candidates? On both sides? I have to go with Fred.
Well, along with losing the blogroll
switching to the new Blogger template also dumped Sitemeter. Which means, over the past few days, I must have lost count of at least three people looking at the place.
But it's back on now. And I got a few more people back on the blogroll.
Now, to borrow from Kim, excuse me, for I'm off to the range.
But it's back on now. And I got a few more people back on the blogroll.
Now, to borrow from Kim, excuse me, for I'm off to the range.
If this is indeed the 'honor killing' it appears,
I want to know why the whole bloody country hasn't had this on the news:
Gail Gartrell, the sisters’ great-aunt, said Saturday that Mr. Said had physically abused the two girls for years. Around Christmas, the girls’ mother – Ms. Gartrell’s niece – had fled because of Mr. Said’s threats to kill the girls after he learned they had boyfriends, she said.
“She ran with them because she knew he would carry out the threat,” Ms. Gartrell said. “This was an honor killing.”
She said her niece returned after Mr. Said told her that he would move out so they could reconcile. Within a few days, she said, the girls were dead.
I don't care where they're from, I don't care how much education they have, anyone who would consider murdering his own children due to family 'honor' is a fucking goatherd in his soul. A barbarian, murdering, backwards, foul excuse for a man.
I may be being a bit unfair, maybe the news has covered it well, but I hadn't heard a damn word about it until I happened to click on Michelle Malkin's site today.
Gail Gartrell, the sisters’ great-aunt, said Saturday that Mr. Said had physically abused the two girls for years. Around Christmas, the girls’ mother – Ms. Gartrell’s niece – had fled because of Mr. Said’s threats to kill the girls after he learned they had boyfriends, she said.
“She ran with them because she knew he would carry out the threat,” Ms. Gartrell said. “This was an honor killing.”
She said her niece returned after Mr. Said told her that he would move out so they could reconcile. Within a few days, she said, the girls were dead.
I don't care where they're from, I don't care how much education they have, anyone who would consider murdering his own children due to family 'honor' is a fucking goatherd in his soul. A barbarian, murdering, backwards, foul excuse for a man.
I may be being a bit unfair, maybe the news has covered it well, but I hadn't heard a damn word about it until I happened to click on Michelle Malkin's site today.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
So is this all hysteria, or are the flourescent bulbs
this dangerous?
Energy-saving light bulbs are so dangerous that everyone must leave the room for at least 15 minutes if one falls to the floor and breaks, a Government department warned yesterday.
The startling alert came as health experts also warned that toxic mercury inside the bulbs can aggravate a range of problems including migraines and dizziness.
So the people pushing these say there's so little mercury it's not a real problem, and the other side says it's a virtual booby trap in the house.
Ain't this all fun?
England continues down the path of blaming objects
instead of people for what people do.
Police arrested two men last night in connection with London's second teenage murder of the new year . The arrests came amid fresh demands for tougher laws to tackle the capital's growing problem of knife crime.
People, it ain't 'knife crime', it's CRIME. With or without a weapon. Catch the bastards who do these things and lock them up and keep them there.
But they won't do it, because it would mean actually holding individuals responsible for their actions, and their government and chattering class just won't: it would rape their worldview to do so. So it'll just keep getting worse.
And please take note of this(bold mine):
Norman Brennan, of the Knives Destroy Lives Campaign, reiterated his demand for a mandatory five-year prison sentence for anyone who carries a knife unreasonably. His call came as Islington borough police commander Bob Carr called for automatic prison sentences for anyone found carrying a knife.
How much you want to bet that 'unreasonably' will wind up meaning 'at all, for any reason'? It wouldn't make any real difference in the crime rate if they did this, partly because there's a fair chance that anyone who was actually convicted wouldn't spend the whole time in jail, and partly because any honest citizen carrying a knife to open packages or cut line or whatever would be more likely to wind up in prison than, say, actual bad guys.
Police arrested two men last night in connection with London's second teenage murder of the new year . The arrests came amid fresh demands for tougher laws to tackle the capital's growing problem of knife crime.
People, it ain't 'knife crime', it's CRIME. With or without a weapon. Catch the bastards who do these things and lock them up and keep them there.
But they won't do it, because it would mean actually holding individuals responsible for their actions, and their government and chattering class just won't: it would rape their worldview to do so. So it'll just keep getting worse.
And please take note of this(bold mine):
Norman Brennan, of the Knives Destroy Lives Campaign, reiterated his demand for a mandatory five-year prison sentence for anyone who carries a knife unreasonably. His call came as Islington borough police commander Bob Carr called for automatic prison sentences for anyone found carrying a knife.
How much you want to bet that 'unreasonably' will wind up meaning 'at all, for any reason'? It wouldn't make any real difference in the crime rate if they did this, partly because there's a fair chance that anyone who was actually convicted wouldn't spend the whole time in jail, and partly because any honest citizen carrying a knife to open packages or cut line or whatever would be more likely to wind up in prison than, say, actual bad guys.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Kind of a general roundup
For instance, what do you do when the fish turns out to be bigger than the boat?
The Goreacle must be weeping with all the global warmering going on.
The Brit government has figured out how to fix their health care system: Treat Yourself, which should go along quite well with not allowing overweight people treatment. Or diabetics above a certain age. Etc.
Also from the Brit government, art pieces for the MoD. Instead of icky things like ammo and parts.
Ah, the peaceful, reasonable progressives.
And if this is what the French call a 'relatively calm night', the bad parts of Iraq and Afghanistan should make them feel right at home.
And if you pre-ordered a copy of Monster Hunter International, they're in the mail.
The Goreacle must be weeping with all the global warmering going on.
The Brit government has figured out how to fix their health care system: Treat Yourself, which should go along quite well with not allowing overweight people treatment. Or diabetics above a certain age. Etc.
Also from the Brit government, art pieces for the MoD. Instead of icky things like ammo and parts.
Ah, the peaceful, reasonable progressives.
And if this is what the French call a 'relatively calm night', the bad parts of Iraq and Afghanistan should make them feel right at home.
And if you pre-ordered a copy of Monster Hunter International, they're in the mail.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Mr. Garand's rifle
makes it to Sebastian. I've said it before, the M1 is one of my most favorite boomsticks. Especially when someone looks around just as the clip ejects and lands on the brim of your hat.
And tonight I have a new term: Celery Fisking:
Fisking this article would be like eating celery. It requires more energy to chew it up than you get from digestion - i.e. a losing proposition.
And Sebastian points to a very good article: What really happens in a gunfight? A couple of quotes from this, the first on sights:
The other trend that I have noted in regards to the use of sights is the actual configuration of the sight itself. I have noted two distinct categories of individuals who remember using their sights; they are those that used long guns and those that used a revolver. The reason for the long gun use of sights seems to be directly related to responding as one is trained. All that I spoke with advised that when they saw the threat facing them, they brought the gun up until their cheek connected with the stock and the fired. None of the people I spoke with advised that they had ever been taught to fire their rifle or shotgun from the hip. When asked why they remember their sights, a common response was, "Because they were shoved up in front of my face."
Revolver shooters continuously told me things like, "I remember that big red (or orange, or green) front sight coming right up in front of my eyes and laying right on his chest." For those of us who broke into defensive shooting using revolvers, we can remember how well that red front insert contrasted with the wide black rear sight on our Smith & Wesson Model 66 or Ruger Security-Six. Those of us who did not have such an insert would usually paint our front sight with some high visibility color. Think about what is now available on semi-automatic pistols. We now have to line up three dots or we have to place a dot on top of a bar, all of which I believe is too complicated for our eyes to do quickly. The revolvers simple, but contrasting, sight system was easy for the eyes to use under stress.
First time I had the chance to seriously play around with a pistol with night sights, I noticed this. If I were to put such on the project 1911, I'd want a standard rear sight and a front with the biggest, brightest dot I could get: as somebody said, "In the dark you just put that dot between the bad guys shirt pockets and pull the trigger."
The other quote is in the 'weird things that happen' category:
And tonight I have a new term: Celery Fisking:
Fisking this article would be like eating celery. It requires more energy to chew it up than you get from digestion - i.e. a losing proposition.
And Sebastian points to a very good article: What really happens in a gunfight? A couple of quotes from this, the first on sights:
The other trend that I have noted in regards to the use of sights is the actual configuration of the sight itself. I have noted two distinct categories of individuals who remember using their sights; they are those that used long guns and those that used a revolver. The reason for the long gun use of sights seems to be directly related to responding as one is trained. All that I spoke with advised that when they saw the threat facing them, they brought the gun up until their cheek connected with the stock and the fired. None of the people I spoke with advised that they had ever been taught to fire their rifle or shotgun from the hip. When asked why they remember their sights, a common response was, "Because they were shoved up in front of my face."
Revolver shooters continuously told me things like, "I remember that big red (or orange, or green) front sight coming right up in front of my eyes and laying right on his chest." For those of us who broke into defensive shooting using revolvers, we can remember how well that red front insert contrasted with the wide black rear sight on our Smith & Wesson Model 66 or Ruger Security-Six. Those of us who did not have such an insert would usually paint our front sight with some high visibility color. Think about what is now available on semi-automatic pistols. We now have to line up three dots or we have to place a dot on top of a bar, all of which I believe is too complicated for our eyes to do quickly. The revolvers simple, but contrasting, sight system was easy for the eyes to use under stress.
First time I had the chance to seriously play around with a pistol with night sights, I noticed this. If I were to put such on the project 1911, I'd want a standard rear sight and a front with the biggest, brightest dot I could get: as somebody said, "In the dark you just put that dot between the bad guys shirt pockets and pull the trigger."
The other quote is in the 'weird things that happen' category:
The most dramatic wound that I ever personally saw involved a woman who was shot in the head by a .357 Magnum. I was a patrol deputy and responded to a public housing project on the report of a shooting. I arrived at the same time as the medic crew and found a white female sitting on the sofa with a dimpled hole in her forehead.
There was a similar wound on the back of her head. As I spoke to her at the scene (to find out who shot her, not to further my personal research) I was told that she had been in an argument with her live-in boyfriend when he picked up a snub-nosed .357 revolver and shot her in the forehead. She advised that her head, "Slammed back and I fell back onto the sofa. I have been sitting here ever since. I have a big head ache." It later turned out that the 158-grain jacketed semi-wadcutter bullet used in the shooting had spilt the lobes of her brain finer than any surgeon could have hoped to. The bullet left a hole in the rear of her skull, which was patched in some way. This victim was released from the hospital and then refused to testify against her boyfriend. ("I still love him.") He was prosecuted anyway. This incident remains one of the strangest things that I have ever seen.
Even MORE reason not to vote for Obama
Supports national law against carrying concealed weapons, with exceptions for retired police and military personnel.
Along with info on a bunch of other candidates, thanks to Kevin
Along with info on a bunch of other candidates, thanks to Kevin
Thursday, January 03, 2008
I shall now give examples of gratuitous stupidity
from all over the place. Like here:
More than 200 soldiers on their way home from Afghanistan had to strip off their uniforms on the tarmac at Birmingham International Airport and don civilian clothes before being allowed access to the terminal building.
Which is compounded by
An MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm the incident occurred but because everyone is on leave, we have not been able to discover who gave the order.
From down under:
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a member of the Labor team which ousted conservative prime minister John Howard in a November election, wants filters in place to shield children from online porn and violence.
Under the plan, Internet service providers would provide feeds filtered free of pornography and other inappropriate material to houses and schools.
From closer to home:
"hilary clinton and barak hussein obama cannot win, and they are put in place to assure a victory by mitt romney... this is the plan of all the insurance companies that are owned by Mormon interests. It is unfolding as the mormon church planned over the last fifty years." --
and
36) "(News of killings is) not good for us, but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back." -- Democratic Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, explains the upside of murders in his city
Too many others here to just pick a few, although #30 demonstrates that it's not just idiot 'progressives' with stupid things to say. Although, just from personal pissed-offedness I'll use this one:
7) "Through every Abu aib and Haditha, through every rape and murder, the American public has indulged those in uniform....We pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families, provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?...[T]he recent NBC report is just an ugly reminder of the price we pay for a mercenary — oops sorry, volunteer — force that thinks it is doing the dirty work." -- The Washington Post's William Arkin
I'm sure my son and the others in his unit, sitting somewhere with no privacy, no showers and etc. are really interested in where their 'obscene amenities' are. I have to admit that, despite the 'let it go' I try to give Idiot Celebrities & Co., I have a strong desire to find this clown and put a boot up his ass.
And as my last pick for the moment(there's sure to be more material later tonight after the mess back east), if Huckabee is dumbass enough to pick a fight with Rush for no good reason, knowing just exactly how it'd be answered, why does anyone think he's smart enough to run the White House?
More than 200 soldiers on their way home from Afghanistan had to strip off their uniforms on the tarmac at Birmingham International Airport and don civilian clothes before being allowed access to the terminal building.
Which is compounded by
An MoD spokesman said: "We can confirm the incident occurred but because everyone is on leave, we have not been able to discover who gave the order.
From down under:
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, a member of the Labor team which ousted conservative prime minister John Howard in a November election, wants filters in place to shield children from online porn and violence.
Under the plan, Internet service providers would provide feeds filtered free of pornography and other inappropriate material to houses and schools.
From closer to home:
"hilary clinton and barak hussein obama cannot win, and they are put in place to assure a victory by mitt romney... this is the plan of all the insurance companies that are owned by Mormon interests. It is unfolding as the mormon church planned over the last fifty years." --
and
36) "(News of killings is) not good for us, but it also keeps the New Orleans brand out there, and it keeps people thinking about our needs and what we need to bring this community back." -- Democratic Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, explains the upside of murders in his city
Too many others here to just pick a few, although #30 demonstrates that it's not just idiot 'progressives' with stupid things to say. Although, just from personal pissed-offedness I'll use this one:
7) "Through every Abu aib and Haditha, through every rape and murder, the American public has indulged those in uniform....We pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families, provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?...[T]he recent NBC report is just an ugly reminder of the price we pay for a mercenary — oops sorry, volunteer — force that thinks it is doing the dirty work." -- The Washington Post's William Arkin
I'm sure my son and the others in his unit, sitting somewhere with no privacy, no showers and etc. are really interested in where their 'obscene amenities' are. I have to admit that, despite the 'let it go' I try to give Idiot Celebrities & Co., I have a strong desire to find this clown and put a boot up his ass.
And as my last pick for the moment(there's sure to be more material later tonight after the mess back east), if Huckabee is dumbass enough to pick a fight with Rush for no good reason, knowing just exactly how it'd be answered, why does anyone think he's smart enough to run the White House?
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Mr. Huffman's family had lots of shirts for Christmas
For instance
I know some politicians we should send this to. They haven't earned a shirt, just printed on a nice card.
Delivered in the box with the mini rail, tar and feathers.
I know some politicians we should send this to. They haven't earned a shirt, just printed on a nice card.
Delivered in the box with the mini rail, tar and feathers.
And the new year begins
How truly joyous. "...postelection violence that has killed more than 300 people, including dozens burned alive as they sought refuge in a church."
I don't know about you, the night itself was good here. Spent the evening with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. No encounters with drunk and/or stupid drivers, no annoying drunks(that I noticed, at least), just a fun evening.
Now I need to work on the blogroll.
I don't know about you, the night itself was good here. Spent the evening with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. No encounters with drunk and/or stupid drivers, no annoying drunks(that I noticed, at least), just a fun evening.
Now I need to work on the blogroll.
Monday, December 31, 2007
When you care enough to send the VERY best
you get results.
Royal Marines crept into position as the fanatics partied the night away just hours after Ms Bhutto was killed in Pakistan.
The bash was being held in ruined compounds a few hundred yards from Our Boys’ remote base in Kajaki.
Ragtag Taliban sentries tried to hit back with machine gun fire – but stood no chance against the heroes of 40 Commando’s Charlie Company.
Marines, meet thugs. Thugs, meet Marines; you can die now.
Troop Sergeant Dominic Conway, 32 – who directed mortar rounds – grinned: “It must have had quite a detrimental effect on their morale.”
Sgt Conway, from Whitley Bay, Tyneside, said of the Taliban lair: “It used to be their backyard and now we’ve made it ours.”
I just love a happy ending.
Thanks to Theo for pointing this out. And yes, this deserved notice, New Year's Eve and all.
Royal Marines crept into position as the fanatics partied the night away just hours after Ms Bhutto was killed in Pakistan.
The bash was being held in ruined compounds a few hundred yards from Our Boys’ remote base in Kajaki.
Ragtag Taliban sentries tried to hit back with machine gun fire – but stood no chance against the heroes of 40 Commando’s Charlie Company.
Marines, meet thugs. Thugs, meet Marines; you can die now.
Troop Sergeant Dominic Conway, 32 – who directed mortar rounds – grinned: “It must have had quite a detrimental effect on their morale.”
Sgt Conway, from Whitley Bay, Tyneside, said of the Taliban lair: “It used to be their backyard and now we’ve made it ours.”
I just love a happy ending.
Thanks to Theo for pointing this out. And yes, this deserved notice, New Year's Eve and all.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Before I go, an update on the son
He called Christmas day, which was rather nice. Between last I heard about a month ago and now, kind of breaks down like this:
In a new base, he can't say where.
Doing something, he can't say what.
No showers, because the prefab unit being shipped in from wherever the hell they get them from was part of a shipment that go hijacked.
But the do have a field kitchen, so not eating MREs all the time.
No space for anything, so "don't send anything else right now".
And busy as hell, which means not enough sleep.
So cold(it's kind of chilly there right now), smelly and tired, but alive and kicking.
In a new base, he can't say where.
Doing something, he can't say what.
No showers, because the prefab unit being shipped in from wherever the hell they get them from was part of a shipment that go hijacked.
But the do have a field kitchen, so not eating MREs all the time.
No space for anything, so "don't send anything else right now".
And busy as hell, which means not enough sleep.
So cold(it's kind of chilly there right now), smelly and tired, but alive and kicking.
On the subject of boobs,
since Kim brought it up, I'll throw out the following:
I like them.
Pleasing size depends entirely on how they fit the lady in question.
I think that women who get Stetson-size implants, like those on the next-to-last photo in Kim's post, are either making a fortune stripping or have rocks in their heads. Possibly both.
Ladies, if you decide to get a boost, or have a touch of some other cosmetic surgery done because it makes you feel better, you go right ahead. But: if you think that big boobs are required for beauty, you're wrong; or if some male of the species hints- or flat-out says- that you need to get a boob job to make him happy, then you should remove yourself from his presence immediately, because jackass sometimes tends to rub off on you.
And now, having been invited to visit some friends for New Years, no posting barring something I just can't pass up(arrests, illustrations of the above or other big news) till after the first.
I like them.
Pleasing size depends entirely on how they fit the lady in question.
I think that women who get Stetson-size implants, like those on the next-to-last photo in Kim's post, are either making a fortune stripping or have rocks in their heads. Possibly both.
Ladies, if you decide to get a boost, or have a touch of some other cosmetic surgery done because it makes you feel better, you go right ahead. But: if you think that big boobs are required for beauty, you're wrong; or if some male of the species hints- or flat-out says- that you need to get a boob job to make him happy, then you should remove yourself from his presence immediately, because jackass sometimes tends to rub off on you.
And now, having been invited to visit some friends for New Years, no posting barring something I just can't pass up(arrests, illustrations of the above or other big news) till after the first.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Note to self:
do not screw with the blog template when just home and tired.
Blogroll, etc., will return when I have time to put things back together properly
Blogroll, etc., will return when I have time to put things back together properly
I just can't pass up this dirtbag lawyer story
found here, and all over the local airwaves. Short version: lawyer found guilty by the state bar association of various unethical things, including exchanging sex with a client for legal work. He was just on the air saying that he 'blamed his enemies for causing these charges to be prosecuted against him'(well, duh! as my daughter used to say) and that 'he will ask the state Supreme Court to impose a penalty less drastic than disbarring'. Again, what clown caught in something like this hasn't asked for a less drastic penalty? Seems to be a shortage of lawyers caught in such things willing to say "I screwed up bigtime, and I deserve the fullest penalty."
Oh, hell, I can't let it go: this is a LITERAL case of a lawyer screwing his client.
Oh, hell, I can't let it go: this is a LITERAL case of a lawyer screwing his client.
First off, here's what part of my little pecan tree looked like
after the ice stopped forming:
The ice on top of the husks there is about 1/2" thick. I thought I was going to lose a couple of branches off it, but it held.
Second, I've got to show you the neat flashlight I got for Christmas
My parents ordered it from somewhere. It's a grand total of 1.5" long, 1.25" wide and about 9/16" thick. Two leds on the front instead of bulbs
and a crank on the side to charge it
It says one minute cranking will give about five minutes of light, which seems about right. Not something for a primary emergency light, but damn handy to stick in a glove compartment or console or whatever.
The ice on top of the husks there is about 1/2" thick. I thought I was going to lose a couple of branches off it, but it held.
Second, I've got to show you the neat flashlight I got for Christmas
My parents ordered it from somewhere. It's a grand total of 1.5" long, 1.25" wide and about 9/16" thick. Two leds on the front instead of bulbs
and a crank on the side to charge it
It says one minute cranking will give about five minutes of light, which seems about right. Not something for a primary emergency light, but damn handy to stick in a glove compartment or console or whatever.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Is there no end to the stupidity of the globular warmering
idiots?
There is a poetic justice to this of course. It is conservatives who are giving us the candidates who steadfastly refuse to have the nation take steps that could slow the pace of climate change, so it is appropriate that they should bear the brunt of its impact.
The important thing is that we, on the higher ground both actually and figuratively, need to remember that, when they begin their historic migration from their doomed regions, we not give them the keys to the city. They certainly should be offered assistance in their time of need, but we need to keep a firm grip on our political systems, making sure that these guilty throngs who allowed the world to go to hell are gerrymandered into political impotence in their new homes.
So this clown thinks that A: it's us Globular Warmering Deniers who'll be flooded or droughted out because of us notworshipping at the Alter of the Goreacle believing in their Holy Cause and B: if their dream for the future were to come about, we'd simply stand quietly while the True Believers 'gerrymander us into political impotence'.
Got news for you, guy: First, your dream ain't coming true. Second, if some oddball circumstance did cause us to have to move, you need to remember two things:
We would not stand for being 'gerrymandered into impotence' in our new homes, and(a big one) if you think we'd leave our arms behind when we moved, then you have even fewer working brain cells than I thought. Just try kicking up into line: you won't like the result.
And isn't it just like a tolerant, fair-minded 'progressive' to plan on keeping political opponents from actually having a say in things?
Added: Just found this at Michelle Malkin: check out the other good progressive things this nitwit is involved in.
There is a poetic justice to this of course. It is conservatives who are giving us the candidates who steadfastly refuse to have the nation take steps that could slow the pace of climate change, so it is appropriate that they should bear the brunt of its impact.
The important thing is that we, on the higher ground both actually and figuratively, need to remember that, when they begin their historic migration from their doomed regions, we not give them the keys to the city. They certainly should be offered assistance in their time of need, but we need to keep a firm grip on our political systems, making sure that these guilty throngs who allowed the world to go to hell are gerrymandered into political impotence in their new homes.
So this clown thinks that A: it's us Globular Warmering Deniers who'll be flooded or droughted out because of us not
Got news for you, guy: First, your dream ain't coming true. Second, if some oddball circumstance did cause us to have to move, you need to remember two things:
We would not stand for being 'gerrymandered into impotence' in our new homes, and(a big one) if you think we'd leave our arms behind when we moved, then you have even fewer working brain cells than I thought. Just try kicking up into line: you won't like the result.
And isn't it just like a tolerant, fair-minded 'progressive' to plan on keeping political opponents from actually having a say in things?
Added: Just found this at Michelle Malkin: check out the other good progressive things this nitwit is involved in.
And one last thing from Tim Blair before I go:
Communists still control-the-news hypocrites:
There was no time to switch from the €22 (£16) "rich man's dish" to a more modest platter of kippers, because Sahra Wagenknecht had already been caught on camera in the act of betraying her own political ideals.
So the photogenic MEP for Germany's Left party set about trying to destroy the evidence of what happened that night in the Strasbourg restaurant Aux Armes in a manner that has sent ripples of scorn across Germany.
...
According to Uca, the photographs of Wagenknecht cracking into her lobster had been erased from the camera when it was returned to her the following day.
...
clearly embarrassed Wagenknecht - who was brought up on the works of Marx and Engels, joined the East German communists in 1989, and allegedly mourned the fall of the Berlin Wall - has admitted both to eating the lobster, and erasing the pictures.
But she defended her actions.
"I don't do anything that I say others shouldn't do," she told the daily TAZ. "On the contrary, I'm fighting for a society in which everyone can afford to eat lobster."
As to why she erased the pictures? "I didn't like them," she said.
Let's see, miserable communist acting like a miserable communist; is anybody surprised?
There was no time to switch from the €22 (£16) "rich man's dish" to a more modest platter of kippers, because Sahra Wagenknecht had already been caught on camera in the act of betraying her own political ideals.
So the photogenic MEP for Germany's Left party set about trying to destroy the evidence of what happened that night in the Strasbourg restaurant Aux Armes in a manner that has sent ripples of scorn across Germany.
...
According to Uca, the photographs of Wagenknecht cracking into her lobster had been erased from the camera when it was returned to her the following day.
...
clearly embarrassed Wagenknecht - who was brought up on the works of Marx and Engels, joined the East German communists in 1989, and allegedly mourned the fall of the Berlin Wall - has admitted both to eating the lobster, and erasing the pictures.
But she defended her actions.
"I don't do anything that I say others shouldn't do," she told the daily TAZ. "On the contrary, I'm fighting for a society in which everyone can afford to eat lobster."
As to why she erased the pictures? "I didn't like them," she said.
Let's see, miserable communist acting like a miserable communist; is anybody surprised?
This just in:
Intellectuals have large holes in head. Or will as soon as the Taliban gets hold of them.
Right now I'm visiting my parents and hadn't planned on doing any blogging, but I saw this when checking some sites and just couldn't not comment on this crap:
I wonder where he stands on the pointed question that Amis recently put to his impeccably liberal audience at the ICA: 'Do you feel morally superior to the Taliban?' (Only about a third raised a hand to say they did, a nice demonstration of relativist liberal guilt.)
That's bad enough. There's also a slight problem with the response:
Eagleton lets out a sharp laugh. 'I certainly hope I am morally superior to people who believe in slaughtering innocents. But what I object to is the dangerous fudging of the line between the Muslim world and the Taliban, and the easy moral superiority that leaves us blind to our own crimes, or the crimes done in our names. It is an obvious point, but one still worth making, that it was our own barbarism and colonialism in the Middle East that has helped to create these situations in the first place. Amis and Hitchens have become perversely silent on the crimes of Western civilisation. Western civilisation has produced enormous advances, but not to see the darker side of that, not to see the barbarism of the West, and not to see that at a time when we are killing thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, seems extraordinarily naive.'
Couple of points in this: First, I don't think it matters one damn bit what the U.S. or Britain did x years ago; the fact is our influences would have spread no matter what. In the past, did varous things done cause problems with various muslim or muslim-influenced countries? Yes. Does that justify a bunch of self-detonating neolithic goatherds blowing up people in the name of God? Hell no. Nice excuse, and it makes a lot of people feel better because they can blame their own country(if you're western) or outside influences(if you're a perpetual-victim muslim) for the problems, but not realistic. Lots and lots of Busddhists and others affected by, for instance, the British Empire in past years but you don't see a lot of them running around screaming "Death to those who insult whatever!" And, as I said, Coke and jeans and movies and whatever would have been spreading and causing problems for medieval-minded nuts even if our only contact with a country had been selling movies and books and whatever.
Second, the 'but not to see the darker side of that, not to see the barbarism of the West, and not to see that at a time when we are killing thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, seems extraordinarily naive.' crap. That sounds an awful lot like "We're blowing up and shooting terrorists and islamist murderers, and that's just as bad as blowing up people in the market. Or torturing and murdering kids in school. We're just as bad as they are!" Which is, to put it bluntly, bullshit. From a clapped-out bull. As someone put it in a different reference, when innocents have died from Israeli military actions, it's been accidental, something they work hard to prevent; when it happens from Hamas & Hizballah and Co., it's what they're trying to do, and if you can't see that difference, then you have great big rocks in your head. And a really sick outlook on life.
I have what will apparently be a big surprise for Mr. Eagleton: given a choice, we wouldn't be there. I don't know anybody who actually wants to have troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, or a number of other places. Given a choice, we'd let them sink or swim on their own, and considering the dependance most of these places have on the west for an awful lot of things it'd mostly be sink. Which would let a lot of people salve their conscience by moaning about how "The rich countries are not helping these people!", etc. But the people in charge- in some cases the people who were in charge- wanted to control us, still do in some cases, and that we like even less. So we had to act.
Which means we've got friends and family in uniform in places they'd rather not be, doing work they'd rather not do. And we have to listen to people blame us for the fact that people like Ahmadinnerjacket would like to kill everyone in Israel, and for that matter most of the rest of the non-islamic world. But then, the latter would be true no matter what. We're what the wahabi nutcases blame for islam not ruling the world, so sooner or later we'd have been their target for terrorism, no matter what happened in the past.
Right now I'm visiting my parents and hadn't planned on doing any blogging, but I saw this when checking some sites and just couldn't not comment on this crap:
I wonder where he stands on the pointed question that Amis recently put to his impeccably liberal audience at the ICA: 'Do you feel morally superior to the Taliban?' (Only about a third raised a hand to say they did, a nice demonstration of relativist liberal guilt.)
That's bad enough. There's also a slight problem with the response:
Eagleton lets out a sharp laugh. 'I certainly hope I am morally superior to people who believe in slaughtering innocents. But what I object to is the dangerous fudging of the line between the Muslim world and the Taliban, and the easy moral superiority that leaves us blind to our own crimes, or the crimes done in our names. It is an obvious point, but one still worth making, that it was our own barbarism and colonialism in the Middle East that has helped to create these situations in the first place. Amis and Hitchens have become perversely silent on the crimes of Western civilisation. Western civilisation has produced enormous advances, but not to see the darker side of that, not to see the barbarism of the West, and not to see that at a time when we are killing thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, seems extraordinarily naive.'
Couple of points in this: First, I don't think it matters one damn bit what the U.S. or Britain did x years ago; the fact is our influences would have spread no matter what. In the past, did varous things done cause problems with various muslim or muslim-influenced countries? Yes. Does that justify a bunch of self-detonating neolithic goatherds blowing up people in the name of God? Hell no. Nice excuse, and it makes a lot of people feel better because they can blame their own country(if you're western) or outside influences(if you're a perpetual-victim muslim) for the problems, but not realistic. Lots and lots of Busddhists and others affected by, for instance, the British Empire in past years but you don't see a lot of them running around screaming "Death to those who insult whatever!" And, as I said, Coke and jeans and movies and whatever would have been spreading and causing problems for medieval-minded nuts even if our only contact with a country had been selling movies and books and whatever.
Second, the 'but not to see the darker side of that, not to see the barbarism of the West, and not to see that at a time when we are killing thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, seems extraordinarily naive.' crap. That sounds an awful lot like "We're blowing up and shooting terrorists and islamist murderers, and that's just as bad as blowing up people in the market. Or torturing and murdering kids in school. We're just as bad as they are!" Which is, to put it bluntly, bullshit. From a clapped-out bull. As someone put it in a different reference, when innocents have died from Israeli military actions, it's been accidental, something they work hard to prevent; when it happens from Hamas & Hizballah and Co., it's what they're trying to do, and if you can't see that difference, then you have great big rocks in your head. And a really sick outlook on life.
I have what will apparently be a big surprise for Mr. Eagleton: given a choice, we wouldn't be there. I don't know anybody who actually wants to have troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, or a number of other places. Given a choice, we'd let them sink or swim on their own, and considering the dependance most of these places have on the west for an awful lot of things it'd mostly be sink. Which would let a lot of people salve their conscience by moaning about how "The rich countries are not helping these people!", etc. But the people in charge- in some cases the people who were in charge- wanted to control us, still do in some cases, and that we like even less. So we had to act.
Which means we've got friends and family in uniform in places they'd rather not be, doing work they'd rather not do. And we have to listen to people blame us for the fact that people like Ahmadinnerjacket would like to kill everyone in Israel, and for that matter most of the rest of the non-islamic world. But then, the latter would be true no matter what. We're what the wahabi nutcases blame for islam not ruling the world, so sooner or later we'd have been their target for terrorism, no matter what happened in the past.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
And I have to note another post
at Thirdpower's place:
Anti Gunner- "What shortcoming are you Gun Nuts trying to compensate for?"
Pro Gunner- "I am compensating for the fact that I can't throw a rock at 1000 feet per second."
Anti Gunner- "What shortcoming are you Gun Nuts trying to compensate for?"
Pro Gunner- "I am compensating for the fact that I can't throw a rock at 1000 feet per second."
Peace on earth, etc., is temporarily suspended this day
to mention the new guy at CeaseFire PA. Who is denying, whining(death threats from us gun nuts, of course: check the comments), and CFPA is engaging in Reasoned Discourse about him.
Just wonderful, isn't it?
Just wonderful, isn't it?
Monday, December 24, 2007
On this Christmas eve
there's two things I'd like to post. The first has been around a while, but it deserves to be up again:
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
Sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... An American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat .
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right"
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
The other is some song lyrics. If you've never heard this by Trace Adkins, you ought to look it up:
Arlington
I never thought that this is where I'd settle down,
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown,
They gave me this plot of land, me and some other men, for a job well done,
There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road,
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad, we're proud of your son
[Chorus:]
And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington
I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight,
We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,
And when we finally found that cross,
He said, "son this is what it cost to keep us free" Now here I am,
A thousand stones away from him,
He recognized me on the first day I came in,
And it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.
[Repeat Chorus]
And everytime I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us
We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done,
We can rest in peace, 'cause we are the chosen ones,
We made it to Arlington, yea dust to dust,
Don't cry for us, we made it to Arlington
Enjoy your family and friends, remember those at the sharp end of the spear, Merry Christmas to you.
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
Sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... An American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat .
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right"
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
The other is some song lyrics. If you've never heard this by Trace Adkins, you ought to look it up:
Arlington
I never thought that this is where I'd settle down,
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown,
They gave me this plot of land, me and some other men, for a job well done,
There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road,
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad, we're proud of your son
[Chorus:]
And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company,
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done,
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington
I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight,
We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,
And when we finally found that cross,
He said, "son this is what it cost to keep us free" Now here I am,
A thousand stones away from him,
He recognized me on the first day I came in,
And it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.
[Repeat Chorus]
And everytime I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us
We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done,
We can rest in peace, 'cause we are the chosen ones,
We made it to Arlington, yea dust to dust,
Don't cry for us, we made it to Arlington
Enjoy your family and friends, remember those at the sharp end of the spear, Merry Christmas to you.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Kevin's been working on one of his serious pieces,
and it's up here. It begins:
Welcome to another of my patented dissertation-length essays. (Consider yourselves forewarned.) This one is about perception and propaganda; about conviction, communication, conversion. It is, to some extent, about a documentary film, but more it is about government, about war, about politics, about history.
It's largely concerned with a '2005 Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary' film. Considering the kind of things that's been Sundance award winners, you can probably guess the slant. Long piece, very much worth going through.
I'll just note part of a comment by Markadelphia:Reality is what you make it, Kevin. There are many people in the world who want peace. Someday they may succeed. What if it happens? As long as people believe that war is inevitable, it will be. Ever read On War by Clausewitz?
Two things about this bother me. One is the 'reality is what you make it' noise. The other is the standard-issue 'many people want peace, what if they succeed?' stuff. I've mentioned before having known a number of 'peace at any price' people, and I suspect Markadelphia fits that mold. Peace over freedom, peace over anything. I tend to not know if they're simply well-wishing people who don't want to see some things, or if they're actively deluding themselves. I want peace, surely; I don't know much of anyone(outside the enemy) who doesn't. I also want freedom; and if we say "We'll do anything for peace, including giving up parts of our freedom", we're screwed. I do think anyone who advocates that is, intentionally or not, on the side of the enemy. If they want the peace of slaves, they can have it, I and mine do not want and will not accept it.
Welcome to another of my patented dissertation-length essays. (Consider yourselves forewarned.) This one is about perception and propaganda; about conviction, communication, conversion. It is, to some extent, about a documentary film, but more it is about government, about war, about politics, about history.
It's largely concerned with a '2005 Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary' film. Considering the kind of things that's been Sundance award winners, you can probably guess the slant. Long piece, very much worth going through.
I'll just note part of a comment by Markadelphia:Reality is what you make it, Kevin. There are many people in the world who want peace. Someday they may succeed. What if it happens? As long as people believe that war is inevitable, it will be. Ever read On War by Clausewitz?
Two things about this bother me. One is the 'reality is what you make it' noise. The other is the standard-issue 'many people want peace, what if they succeed?' stuff. I've mentioned before having known a number of 'peace at any price' people, and I suspect Markadelphia fits that mold. Peace over freedom, peace over anything. I tend to not know if they're simply well-wishing people who don't want to see some things, or if they're actively deluding themselves. I want peace, surely; I don't know much of anyone(outside the enemy) who doesn't. I also want freedom; and if we say "We'll do anything for peace, including giving up parts of our freedom", we're screwed. I do think anyone who advocates that is, intentionally or not, on the side of the enemy. If they want the peace of slaves, they can have it, I and mine do not want and will not accept it.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Dammit, the Curse™ retains power!
Kim, you miss Chicago cold and snow and wind, get your ass about 200 miles north: we got it for you.
It's about 25 outside right now, and I'm listening to the sounds offriggin' idiotsdistressed motorists who can't get up the hill outside, and who thing that giving it just a little more gas will do it. Which means they wind up sideways, front or back wheels against a curb, cursing and wondering why they can't move.
Sequence of events:
Day begins in the upper 30's.
Light rain begins.
Temperature drops about eight degrees very quickly.
Rain turns to snow, mostly melts when hits street. For now.
Wet on streets turns to slush, snow continues with wind direct from Arctic Circle pushing it.
Slush starts freezing.
Streets now largely filled with people either creeping along, blocking traffic and getting stuck on hills or people who think they can drive just like the pavement was just wet. The latter class of fool includes those who think four-wheel drive means 'traction no matter what'. Kind of like the idiots sliding sideways on the street outside.
Streets are going to be flat nasty when I head to work in the morning, but there'll be very little traffic, so shouldn't be too bad. In the meantime, I think I'll stay inside stretch out under the nice wool blanket tonight.
Assuming someeffing idiottroubled motorist doesn't slide into the driveway and hit something.
It's about 25 outside right now, and I'm listening to the sounds of
Sequence of events:
Day begins in the upper 30's.
Light rain begins.
Temperature drops about eight degrees very quickly.
Rain turns to snow, mostly melts when hits street. For now.
Wet on streets turns to slush, snow continues with wind direct from Arctic Circle pushing it.
Slush starts freezing.
Streets now largely filled with people either creeping along, blocking traffic and getting stuck on hills or people who think they can drive just like the pavement was just wet. The latter class of fool includes those who think four-wheel drive means 'traction no matter what'. Kind of like the idiots sliding sideways on the street outside.
Streets are going to be flat nasty when I head to work in the morning, but there'll be very little traffic, so shouldn't be too bad. In the meantime, I think I'll stay inside stretch out under the nice wool blanket tonight.
Assuming some
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Range day
Just some general practice today, including taking the scattergun out for some practice. A while back I found a load that seems to duplicate the performance of the Hornady reduced-recoil buckshot that I keep in it for social purposes, which makes practice a lot less expensive.
I've read a lot of arguments between 'round in the chamber, safety on' vs. 'magazine loaded, chamber empty'. I keep mine same as Xavier: mag loaded, chamber empty, safety off. I'll add that I check the chamber to make sure it's empty, close the slide, then load the mag, then pull the trigger to drop the hammer. The last does two things: releases tension on the hammer spring and unlocks the slide. I still have to grab it and rack the slide to load, but I don't have to worry about pushing the slide release. I thought a lot about it, and decided that if I'm awakened by the sound of a window or my door breaking I want as few buttons/switches to deal with as possible. No warranty, your opinions may differ. I specify the sitting condition of the shotgun because I specifically practiced today as though I were grabbing it: in the condition above, me standing in roughly the same relation I would have to it if I'm in bed, grab, rack, aim & fire. For some reason I hadn't done it that way before, and I wish I had: definitely adds to the realism of the drill.
I've mentioned quite a while back that I prefer the reduced-recoil loads for this, but it's been a long time so I'll cover it again. I very much agree with "Use the most powerful gun you can shoot consistently and accurately" as a guide. In a different situation I might well choose a 3" magnum load, something that'll make a charging grizzly reflect on the folly of his last action. However...
The longest range I can see firing in a home defense situation is about thirty feet, and that means the reduced-recoil ammo should have plenty of power to stop a two-legged attacker. Also, have you ever fired a 3" mag buckshot load? The recoil is bloody awful, so I'm willing to trade some power for faster recovery and more accurate repeat shots(if needed). This also means that I can fire twenty or twenty-five rounds in practice and my shoulder still works after. I had an injury a few years back, and there are limits to how much pounding it can take.
The shotgun, about two boxes of .45 through the pistol and some other general shooting. Definitely a nice part of the day.
I've read a lot of arguments between 'round in the chamber, safety on' vs. 'magazine loaded, chamber empty'. I keep mine same as Xavier: mag loaded, chamber empty, safety off. I'll add that I check the chamber to make sure it's empty, close the slide, then load the mag, then pull the trigger to drop the hammer. The last does two things: releases tension on the hammer spring and unlocks the slide. I still have to grab it and rack the slide to load, but I don't have to worry about pushing the slide release. I thought a lot about it, and decided that if I'm awakened by the sound of a window or my door breaking I want as few buttons/switches to deal with as possible. No warranty, your opinions may differ. I specify the sitting condition of the shotgun because I specifically practiced today as though I were grabbing it: in the condition above, me standing in roughly the same relation I would have to it if I'm in bed, grab, rack, aim & fire. For some reason I hadn't done it that way before, and I wish I had: definitely adds to the realism of the drill.
I've mentioned quite a while back that I prefer the reduced-recoil loads for this, but it's been a long time so I'll cover it again. I very much agree with "Use the most powerful gun you can shoot consistently and accurately" as a guide. In a different situation I might well choose a 3" magnum load, something that'll make a charging grizzly reflect on the folly of his last action. However...
The longest range I can see firing in a home defense situation is about thirty feet, and that means the reduced-recoil ammo should have plenty of power to stop a two-legged attacker. Also, have you ever fired a 3" mag buckshot load? The recoil is bloody awful, so I'm willing to trade some power for faster recovery and more accurate repeat shots(if needed). This also means that I can fire twenty or twenty-five rounds in practice and my shoulder still works after. I had an injury a few years back, and there are limits to how much pounding it can take.
The shotgun, about two boxes of .45 through the pistol and some other general shooting. Definitely a nice part of the day.
I hate political speeches and polls both
with a passion. On polls, Kim has this today, which covers a big chunk of why. I confess I don't know what a regression analysis is, having had little math beyond the basic four functions that I paid attention to, and the math isn't the big reason I so dislike polls; that comes from noticing over the years how the media weenies can breathlessly tell you the alarming news of the latest poll in the same breathless tones as they did the previous one, which gave the opposite result.
Lots of the political crap I just ignore at this point, so far as candidates. I mean, what have we got? On the R side, Giuliani and Romney are hoplophobes who really like the idea of the government telling us how to run our lives in various ways(Romney claiming the health-care scheme he signed just before leaving office is a 'free-market' way to deal with the problem really pisses me off). Huckabee has shown himself to be a jerk of the first water who shouldn't be allowed in the White House at all, let alone near the Oval Office. Ron Paul... it's kind of amazing. I had a chance to catch him on the Glenn Beck show a couple of nights ago, and it broke down into two sections:
A: He'd cover some point and I'd think "Yeah! Damn right!"
B: He'd hit some point and I'd be sitting there saying "Are you retarded or stoned, you idiot?"
Anyone who actually believes that if we retreat from anything defined as 'the muslim world' the terrorists will leave us alone- and will also then leave Israel alone- is de facto out of his damn mind. Overall, Ron Paul is another 'put a shock collar on him that goes off if he approaches the Oval Office doors' politician.
Thompson has some stuff in his background that I'm not fond of, but he seems to have some pretty good stands on some very important things, at this point I'd just about have to vote for him. There are a couple of others, Duncan Hunter, who would, I think, be pretty good, but have virtually zero chance of being elected.
On the D side, we've got a bunch of socialists who don't have either the integrity or courage to admit what they are, some worse than others. When Obama refused to salute the flag, that bypassed his gun-fearing wussiness by a BIG step: no way in hell I'd vote for him after that, it reveals too much about him. Clinton, hell, I can't type long enough to cover all the reasons why it would be better for the country if she were abducted by Bigfoot and disappeared into his honeymoon cave. The others are just about as bad as Clinton & Obama, except they don't have her baggage of Bill Clinton drooling over the thought of having access to the Oval Office again.
I told my kids in 2000 and 2004 that I had some real problems with George Bush, but the alternative was just too dangerous to consider. I'm really damn sick of having to plan my vote on "Which of these clowns is going to be less dangerous to the country over the long run?"
Lots of the political crap I just ignore at this point, so far as candidates. I mean, what have we got? On the R side, Giuliani and Romney are hoplophobes who really like the idea of the government telling us how to run our lives in various ways(Romney claiming the health-care scheme he signed just before leaving office is a 'free-market' way to deal with the problem really pisses me off). Huckabee has shown himself to be a jerk of the first water who shouldn't be allowed in the White House at all, let alone near the Oval Office. Ron Paul... it's kind of amazing. I had a chance to catch him on the Glenn Beck show a couple of nights ago, and it broke down into two sections:
A: He'd cover some point and I'd think "Yeah! Damn right!"
B: He'd hit some point and I'd be sitting there saying "Are you retarded or stoned, you idiot?"
Anyone who actually believes that if we retreat from anything defined as 'the muslim world' the terrorists will leave us alone- and will also then leave Israel alone- is de facto out of his damn mind. Overall, Ron Paul is another 'put a shock collar on him that goes off if he approaches the Oval Office doors' politician.
Thompson has some stuff in his background that I'm not fond of, but he seems to have some pretty good stands on some very important things, at this point I'd just about have to vote for him. There are a couple of others, Duncan Hunter, who would, I think, be pretty good, but have virtually zero chance of being elected.
On the D side, we've got a bunch of socialists who don't have either the integrity or courage to admit what they are, some worse than others. When Obama refused to salute the flag, that bypassed his gun-fearing wussiness by a BIG step: no way in hell I'd vote for him after that, it reveals too much about him. Clinton, hell, I can't type long enough to cover all the reasons why it would be better for the country if she were abducted by Bigfoot and disappeared into his honeymoon cave. The others are just about as bad as Clinton & Obama, except they don't have her baggage of Bill Clinton drooling over the thought of having access to the Oval Office again.
I told my kids in 2000 and 2004 that I had some real problems with George Bush, but the alternative was just too dangerous to consider. I'm really damn sick of having to plan my vote on "Which of these clowns is going to be less dangerous to the country over the long run?"
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
There have been bits & pieces about the Japanese 'justice' system
published and broadcast over the years; this is the most recent thing I've seen on it.
Not a good situation at all.
According to Valentine's testimony, hospitals and doctors were contingent on him signing a confession, in Japanese (which he could not read), that the police had not hurt him. He refused. The interrogations continued for 10 days.
According to the U.N., this sort of thing is not all that unusual. The U.N. Committee Against Torture recently criticized Japan (CAT/C/JPN/CO/1, May 18, 2007, Sections 15(c) and 17) for "the lack of appropriate and prompt medical care for individuals in police custody," and for "undue delays in provision."
I've heard of other cases like this. It's a nasty one-two: if you don't sign a confession you don't get to see a doctor or legal counsel(assuming they'll let you see a lawyer at all), etc., and if you do you're guilty and off to prison.Not a good situation at all.
Once again we are reminded that the Clintons and their team
have little regard for the truth:
The National Archives is withholding from the public about 2,600 pages of records at President Clinton's direction, despite a public assurance by one of his top aides last month that Mr. Clinton "has not blocked the release of a single document."
The 2,600 pages, stored at Mr. Clinton's library in Arkansas, were deemed to contain "confidential advice" and, therefore, "closed" under the Presidential Records Act, an Archives spokeswoman, Susan Cooper, told The New York Sun yesterday.
All things considered, there should be a bunch of people in that group with third-degree burns on their ass from their pants so frequently bursting into flame.
The National Archives is withholding from the public about 2,600 pages of records at President Clinton's direction, despite a public assurance by one of his top aides last month that Mr. Clinton "has not blocked the release of a single document."
The 2,600 pages, stored at Mr. Clinton's library in Arkansas, were deemed to contain "confidential advice" and, therefore, "closed" under the Presidential Records Act, an Archives spokeswoman, Susan Cooper, told The New York Sun yesterday.
All things considered, there should be a bunch of people in that group with third-degree burns on their ass from their pants so frequently bursting into flame.
When son mentioned 'tired' and 'not much sleep'
it reminded me of some of Bill Mauldins' cartoons. Like this one:
I swear, except for tools and equipment, nothing changes
I swear, except for tools and equipment, nothing changes
In the latest example of "Oops, wrong address!"
we go to Minneapolis; Rosenberg has a good rundown of the mess, just scroll down through the posts. What I'll note here is a couple of bits from this article:
But minutes after a SWAT team entered the house about 12:30 a.m., things went awry. The homeowner, a father of six, thinking the intruders were burglars, fired at them through a bedroom wall. He hit two officers, one in the back and one in the head, but both were uninjured because they were wearing protective armor. Police shot back, but did not hit him.
After police interviewed Khang's family, it became clear they had no connection to the case, Huffman said. But the address listed on the warrant was the one police had gotten from the informant.
"This house was part of a package of very credible information that resulted in other successful enforcement actions," she said. "This was the end of a chain of things, and there was no reason to question the credibility of the information."
Gee, an informant giving a wrong address. Who'da thunk it?
It's been said before: when you do no-knock warrants, there is no room for error. Not in a wrong address, not in failing to check what an informant says. An honest citizen hearing his door smashed in in the night is going to assume it's bad guys and react accordingly, and the police will have no room to say "Well, he shouldn't have shot at us/failed to roll over and wet himself/scared us, then we wouldn't have killed him!" They will anyway, with great indignation, but it's bullshit. Especially when things like this turn up:
. . . . well, it's finally gone public: when the MPD SWAT cops kicked in the door of the house, owned by Vang Khang, lived in by Vang Khang, his equally Hmong wife, and their six little kids, they thought that they were raiding a black street gang.
But minutes after a SWAT team entered the house about 12:30 a.m., things went awry. The homeowner, a father of six, thinking the intruders were burglars, fired at them through a bedroom wall. He hit two officers, one in the back and one in the head, but both were uninjured because they were wearing protective armor. Police shot back, but did not hit him.
Hours later, police officials were apologizing to the homeowner, Vang Khang, admitting that they had erred based on bad information from an informant.
Sound familiar?After police interviewed Khang's family, it became clear they had no connection to the case, Huffman said. But the address listed on the warrant was the one police had gotten from the informant.
"This house was part of a package of very credible information that resulted in other successful enforcement actions," she said. "This was the end of a chain of things, and there was no reason to question the credibility of the information."
Gee, an informant giving a wrong address. Who'da thunk it?
It's been said before: when you do no-knock warrants, there is no room for error. Not in a wrong address, not in failing to check what an informant says. An honest citizen hearing his door smashed in in the night is going to assume it's bad guys and react accordingly, and the police will have no room to say "Well, he shouldn't have shot at us/failed to roll over and wet himself/scared us, then we wouldn't have killed him!" They will anyway, with great indignation, but it's bullshit. Especially when things like this turn up:
. . . . well, it's finally gone public: when the MPD SWAT cops kicked in the door of the house, owned by Vang Khang, lived in by Vang Khang, his equally Hmong wife, and their six little kids, they thought that they were raiding a black street gang.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
In our continuing chronicle of (Formerly)Great Britain
circling the drain, as Lawdog says, Sod 'em, the lot of 'em.
That the place where craftsmen created the Sutton Hoo sword, where the name Sheffield meant blades as fine as could be found in the world, where sixty lousy years ago people were ready to take family antiques down from the walls to face an invader, has come to this...
That the place where craftsmen created the Sutton Hoo sword, where the name Sheffield meant blades as fine as could be found in the world, where sixty lousy years ago people were ready to take family antiques down from the walls to face an invader, has come to this...
So THAT'S why OnStar is so popular!
OnStar: Hello, OnStar.
Customer: Hi, I have a problem.
OnStar: How can I help, sir?
Customer: I’m…umm…27, and still a virgin.
OnStar: How old are you really, sir?
Customer: Twenty-nine?
OnStar: Sir?
Customer: Thirty-six.
OnStar: [partially off mike] Holy shit!
Customer: [muffled crying]
OnStar: OK, sir, I need you to stay with me and listen very closely. I’m going to ask you some diagnostic questions to pinpoint the problem. Do you own action figures?
Customer: Yes.
OnStar: And if your Grakthorian Troll with +12 charisma and 170 hit points were to be attacked by a gelatinous cube, what would you do?
Customer: I would don my cloak of invisibility and bypass the cube to enter the dungeons of Dalagdon.
OnStar: I think I know the answer to the next one, but they make me run down the whole list. Do you live with your mother, or a spinster aunt?
Customer: Both. [weeping]
OnStar: And how often do you masturbate?
Customer: What? Never!
OnStar: Sir.
Customer: Three times a day.
OnStar: And do you look at anime comics while you engage in self-pleasure?
Customer: How did you know?
OnStar: Thank you for your patience, sir, I think we’re just about at a solution. What I’m seeing here is that you are going to have to pay for sex. Is this Visa you have on file with us good to use?
Customer: Yeah, uh, it should be…
OnStar: Sounds good. We’ll forward your payment info on to the dispatching office. Now, what I want you to do is drive 6.2 miles north to the corner of Laurel Avenue, and wait there for a “Miss Star.” She’ll be wearing a leopard-skin skirt and an OnStar jacket. She’ll take care of you from there. All right, I just sent the detailed directions to your on-board navigation system.
Customer: Wow, thank you, OnStar! Maybe I can come thank you in person some time!
OnStar: We’d rather you didn’t.
From the Pirate Royalty
Two notes on the enemy
First, the Lose At Any Cost weenies in Congress:
Rather than apologize for falling short with their base, however, Democratic leadership aides were unapologetic, believing they need to get more Democratic senators elected so that Reid has better than a 51-49 margin to work with in 2009.
“One thing that’s painfully clear is we need more senators committed to the American people than protecting the president,” said Reid spokesman Rodell Mollineau. “Not senators who are endorsing the status quo.”
If the American people reacted more directly to your attempts to hand victory to the enemy and rape their bank accounts you'd be either sporting tar and feathers or be dangling from a rope, you canker on the ass of this country. You don't want 'senators committed to the American people": you want senators committed to your party no matter what it does to the country.
And from the meeting of world socialists in Bali:
“It is a circus here,” [stat]ed Australian scientist Dr. David Evans. Evans is making scientific presentations to delegates and journalists at the conference revealing the latest peer-reviewed studies that refute the UN’s climate claims.We now have quite a lot of evidence that carbon emissions definitely don’t cause global warming. We have the missing [human] signature [in the atmosphere], we have the IPCC models being wrong and we have the lack of a temperature going up the last 5 years,” [...] Evans authored a November 28 2007 paper ”Carbon Emissions Don’t Cause Global Warming.”
Evans touted a new peer-reviewed study by a team of scientists appearing in the December 2007 issue of the International Journal of Climatology of the Royal Meteorological Society which found “Warming is naturally caused and shows no human influence.” “Most of the people here have jobs that are very well paid and they depend on the idea that carbon emissions cause global warming. They are not going to be very receptive to the idea that the science has gone off in a different direction,” Evans explained.
Oh yeah, the globular warmerers are ONLY interested in pure Science, yeah.
Rather than apologize for falling short with their base, however, Democratic leadership aides were unapologetic, believing they need to get more Democratic senators elected so that Reid has better than a 51-49 margin to work with in 2009.
“One thing that’s painfully clear is we need more senators committed to the American people than protecting the president,” said Reid spokesman Rodell Mollineau. “Not senators who are endorsing the status quo.”
If the American people reacted more directly to your attempts to hand victory to the enemy and rape their bank accounts you'd be either sporting tar and feathers or be dangling from a rope, you canker on the ass of this country. You don't want 'senators committed to the American people": you want senators committed to your party no matter what it does to the country.
And from the meeting of world socialists in Bali:
“It is a circus here,” [stat]ed Australian scientist Dr. David Evans. Evans is making scientific presentations to delegates and journalists at the conference revealing the latest peer-reviewed studies that refute the UN’s climate claims.We now have quite a lot of evidence that carbon emissions definitely don’t cause global warming. We have the missing [human] signature [in the atmosphere], we have the IPCC models being wrong and we have the lack of a temperature going up the last 5 years,” [...] Evans authored a November 28 2007 paper ”Carbon Emissions Don’t Cause Global Warming.”
Evans touted a new peer-reviewed study by a team of scientists appearing in the December 2007 issue of the International Journal of Climatology of the Royal Meteorological Society which found “Warming is naturally caused and shows no human influence.” “Most of the people here have jobs that are very well paid and they depend on the idea that carbon emissions cause global warming. They are not going to be very receptive to the idea that the science has gone off in a different direction,” Evans explained.
Oh yeah, the globular warmerers are ONLY interested in pure Science, yeah.
Monday, December 17, 2007
It's ON!
About 1300 it came back on! The heater's blowing, the fridge is chilling and, since I was able to find dry ice, looks like I didn't loose anything in the freezer, all still seems frozen nice & solid.
And I get to sleep in my own bed tonight. Without freezing.
And I get to sleep in my own bed tonight. Without freezing.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Son has been heard from,
first time in almost three weeks. Seems he's been sent(transferred? posted?) to a new location, no further information allowed at this time. Healthy and uninjured, just very busy. Hopefully more information to follow in a few days when things settle a bit.
Just hope no problem with the packages in transit following him.
Just hope no problem with the packages in transit following him.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
I used to think a couple of Oleg Volk's posters were Updated
just a bit over the top. But the more I read about the bullcrap being planned for us in Bali, I think this one's just about right:
Yeah, does seem to cover it.
At this point, I see that train of blue armor in Rodger's post and think "Bridge, explosives... hmmmm."
Yeah, does seem to cover it.
At this point, I see that train of blue armor in Rodger's post and think "Bridge, explosives... hmmmm."
And on the front here in OK,
still no power. They seem to have cut the numbers down a lot, but haven't gotten to my street yet. Dammit.
In other news, son in Iraq's birthday was a couple of days ago. With very little room for stuff, mostly got more edibles and some birthday wishes; not many other options. When last heard from he was still working on the books(not much time for reading, busy as hell) and about to get a new vehicle. Which will hopefully not break as much as the last one. Take a vehicle like a humvee, add on a lot of armor, then add a cupola, gun, etc., on top and it really adds to the wear. Also makes the thing top-heavy and slower.
Someday OG&E will finally get around to my area and get the damn power back on. Until then I shall continue to occasionally post as opportunity arises, and try to figure out something for Christmas presents for a few people.
In other news, son in Iraq's birthday was a couple of days ago. With very little room for stuff, mostly got more edibles and some birthday wishes; not many other options. When last heard from he was still working on the books(not much time for reading, busy as hell) and about to get a new vehicle. Which will hopefully not break as much as the last one. Take a vehicle like a humvee, add on a lot of armor, then add a cupola, gun, etc., on top and it really adds to the wear. Also makes the thing top-heavy and slower.
Someday OG&E will finally get around to my area and get the damn power back on. Until then I shall continue to occasionally post as opportunity arises, and try to figure out something for Christmas presents for a few people.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Stealing the identities and screwing up the lives
nobody else does.
You've got two problems here. One is the illegal aliens stealing peoples' identities. The second is the standard-issue IRS bureaucracy that for some damn reason just can't straighten out their own files on this.
Ain't it just a wonderful combination?
You've got two problems here. One is the illegal aliens stealing peoples' identities. The second is the standard-issue IRS bureaucracy that for some damn reason just can't straighten out their own files on this.
Ain't it just a wonderful combination?
Thursday, December 13, 2007
And before I have to give back the keyboard, Updated
Chuck Adkins is a vile, steaming pile of excuse for a man.
It's kind of hard to imagine the level of shithead, cowardice and hate it takes to write something like that.
Update: guy posting a comment at Og's place had this link; looks like the heat got just a touch warm for him, hmmmm?
It's kind of hard to imagine the level of shithead, cowardice and hate it takes to write something like that.
Update: guy posting a comment at Og's place had this link; looks like the heat got just a touch warm for him, hmmmm?
On the lady who whacked the dirtbag in Colorado, Updated
what would we expect? To quote Steve,
I knew this was coming. This brave, selfless lady is going to be punished for showing up the gun control assholes. Why would you investigate a hero's employment history, looking for negative information? Why would that even occur to you? Jesus; they didn't do that to the killer. No one is digging into the termination of his McDonald's job to see if he deserved it. They didn't do it to famous scumbags like Scott Peterson and Timothy McVeigh. So why do it to a wonderful lady like Jeanne Assam? We all know the answer.
As to the "He actually killed himself, so her actions don't really count" bullshit, he about covers it:
They're even trying to take the credit away from her, telling the world the psycho she shot killed himself. Listen, she shot that little son of a bitch to pieces. "Multiple times," the story says. Thanks to Jeanne Assam, he was a helpless pile of bleeding meat when he did the world a favor and killed himself. And he was going to do it regardless; these punks always commit suicide because they don't have the spine to face justice. There was never much doubt that he would kill himself; what was uncertain was how many people would die before he did. Jeanne Assam is the reason so few died.
True words. Also, I like the idea of his celebrity pledge:
I have a suggestion, in the interest of peace and love and being green and empowering little brown people and women and being nice to all the fuzzy puppies and kitties and worshiping Mother Gaia. How about if every celebrity who supports gun control publicly signs an oath, swearing he or she will refuse the protection of any person--private citizen or public employee--armed with a gun? I mean, hell, we all saw Charlie's Angels, where they proved three unarmed girls can beat up a whole roomful of men with guns. Surely George Clooney is as much of a man as Drew Barrymore. Come on, guys. You want the rest of us to be willing to die for gun control. Here's my challenge: lead by example.
In fact, you have to swear off bodyguards too, you pansies. Come on, Clooney, you fairy. The rest of us can't afford to pay other men to supply the toughness we lack. If you want us to live your fantasy, you have to live our reality.
Update: It seems the idiots saying she was fired didn't bother to actually, oh, check the damn records.
I knew this was coming. This brave, selfless lady is going to be punished for showing up the gun control assholes. Why would you investigate a hero's employment history, looking for negative information? Why would that even occur to you? Jesus; they didn't do that to the killer. No one is digging into the termination of his McDonald's job to see if he deserved it. They didn't do it to famous scumbags like Scott Peterson and Timothy McVeigh. So why do it to a wonderful lady like Jeanne Assam? We all know the answer.
As to the "He actually killed himself, so her actions don't really count" bullshit, he about covers it:
They're even trying to take the credit away from her, telling the world the psycho she shot killed himself. Listen, she shot that little son of a bitch to pieces. "Multiple times," the story says. Thanks to Jeanne Assam, he was a helpless pile of bleeding meat when he did the world a favor and killed himself. And he was going to do it regardless; these punks always commit suicide because they don't have the spine to face justice. There was never much doubt that he would kill himself; what was uncertain was how many people would die before he did. Jeanne Assam is the reason so few died.
True words. Also, I like the idea of his celebrity pledge:
I have a suggestion, in the interest of peace and love and being green and empowering little brown people and women and being nice to all the fuzzy puppies and kitties and worshiping Mother Gaia. How about if every celebrity who supports gun control publicly signs an oath, swearing he or she will refuse the protection of any person--private citizen or public employee--armed with a gun? I mean, hell, we all saw Charlie's Angels, where they proved three unarmed girls can beat up a whole roomful of men with guns. Surely George Clooney is as much of a man as Drew Barrymore. Come on, guys. You want the rest of us to be willing to die for gun control. Here's my challenge: lead by example.
Update: It seems the idiots saying she was fired didn't bother to actually, oh, check the damn records.
Yes, I'm still in the dark
Shut up, Og, I mean physically.
Shut up, dammit.
Still can't get any actual information from OG&E, just 'we appreciate your patience'. Which is rapidly wearing out. I know fixing this crap takes time, I also know that being stuck with a human parrot who has no interest in even trying to give you any actual information does NOT incline you toward happy feelings toward the company.
I did notice one interesting thing today: while reportedly being super-busy clearing limbs out of the streets(which they did do) the crew also took time to put up a sign of the 'thanks to your councilman and Mayor, this street will be improved!' variety up. Right next to the stump of the street light pole that's still laying there. Just bloody wonderful.
Supposedly it's down to about 150k homes/businesses without power in the OKC area. I just wish I wasn't one of them. This is seriously inconveniencing me, which makes it a serious matter, dammit.
And, depending on which forecast you listen to, anywhere from 2-5" of snow forecast tomorrow. "Happy Holidays", bah humbug.
Shut up, dammit.
Still can't get any actual information from OG&E, just 'we appreciate your patience'. Which is rapidly wearing out. I know fixing this crap takes time, I also know that being stuck with a human parrot who has no interest in even trying to give you any actual information does NOT incline you toward happy feelings toward the company.
I did notice one interesting thing today: while reportedly being super-busy clearing limbs out of the streets(which they did do) the crew also took time to put up a sign of the 'thanks to your councilman and Mayor, this street will be improved!' variety up. Right next to the stump of the street light pole that's still laying there. Just bloody wonderful.
Supposedly it's down to about 150k homes/businesses without power in the OKC area. I just wish I wasn't one of them. This is seriously inconveniencing me, which makes it a serious matter, dammit.
And, depending on which forecast you listen to, anywhere from 2-5" of snow forecast tomorrow. "Happy Holidays", bah humbug.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Still alive, and still cold
Just to add to the joy, the weather weenies are now predicting snow Friday, and lows in the low 20's Friday & Saturday nights.
Just to check I called OG&E to ask. Please note I did NOT say "When will my power be on?"; I told them my neighborhood and asked if they had any estimate when they might be getting there? Only reply: "The only estimate we can give you is that all power will be restored in seven to ten working days." Two things bother me about this: first, on Monday they were saying 'seven to ten days', and while speaking of all the extra line crews pulled in they're still saying that; second, take note of that 'seven to ten working days'. Which kind of pisses me off, because that would seem a way to add days to their count while not actually saying it.
The joys of things this time of year...
Just to check I called OG&E to ask. Please note I did NOT say "When will my power be on?"; I told them my neighborhood and asked if they had any estimate when they might be getting there? Only reply: "The only estimate we can give you is that all power will be restored in seven to ten working days." Two things bother me about this: first, on Monday they were saying 'seven to ten days', and while speaking of all the extra line crews pulled in they're still saying that; second, take note of that 'seven to ten working days'. Which kind of pisses me off, because that would seem a way to add days to their count while not actually saying it.
The joys of things this time of year...
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
And about 20 minutes after my previous post
I joined the ranks of the powerless. Which now, in OK alone, are estimated between 600-650k.
So far, the house is chilly but I'm fine. The propane burner works very well for making tea, the lamps take care of lighting(enough, anyway). Haven't broken into the MREs yet, and probably won't need to.
I'll have to qualify my last statement that this wasn't as bad as could have been: a few degrees colder or strong winds would have made this a large-scale as opposed to a mid-scale disaster. As is it's a pain, and if I don't have power by midday tomorrow I'll get some dry ice to put in the freezer to make sure things stay frozen, and reading by oil lamps isn't much fun. Oh, and if you're travelling there are a couple of turnpikes where you'd better not need gas as the stations have no power. But this is primarily tree and line damage, as opposed to the storm in 2002 which took down power poles by the thousands; a lot faster and easier to repair. Then it took damn near two months to get power back to everyone: with the crews being pulled in from surrounding states they're currently figuring a week to ten days, quite possibly less.
Pictures and further updates will have to wait until I have time again at a place with electricity.
So far, the house is chilly but I'm fine. The propane burner works very well for making tea, the lamps take care of lighting(enough, anyway). Haven't broken into the MREs yet, and probably won't need to.
I'll have to qualify my last statement that this wasn't as bad as could have been: a few degrees colder or strong winds would have made this a large-scale as opposed to a mid-scale disaster. As is it's a pain, and if I don't have power by midday tomorrow I'll get some dry ice to put in the freezer to make sure things stay frozen, and reading by oil lamps isn't much fun. Oh, and if you're travelling there are a couple of turnpikes where you'd better not need gas as the stations have no power. But this is primarily tree and line damage, as opposed to the storm in 2002 which took down power poles by the thousands; a lot faster and easier to repair. Then it took damn near two months to get power back to everyone: with the crews being pulled in from surrounding states they're currently figuring a week to ten days, quite possibly less.
Pictures and further updates will have to wait until I have time again at a place with electricity.
Monday, December 10, 2007
As you can see from the bird feeder,
it's kind of nasty outside. And this particular bit the birds are really pissed about.
You can't really tell in this shot, but it's raining again. It's kind of a pain because the temp is just low enough for it to freeze on things, but just high enough that it's melting on the carport, and the streets. If it'd go up just a couple of degrees(which it's supposed to) it'd start melting a lot of this, which would take a lot of stress off things.
'Stress' as in there's almost 200k(update: radio just said 250k) people with no power right now, and as I took a few pictures out the front door I could hear limbs breaking off trees down the street: NOT a nice thing to listen to. Most of the power lines run across the back yards on my street, where there was an alley before everyone moved their fence back a few feet, and back in late spring the electric company did a lot of pruning to clear around the lines through the neighborhood. I'm hoping it makes the difference.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
The joys of winter,
and Kim's favorite weather*, the bastard.
So far the ice has been not too bad in the Oklahoma City area: icy in some spots, less so in others on the way to work this morning. I went out about nine to scrape my windows and discovered that it was thundering like a spring storm and sleeting. A bit south & east of here the freezing rain was heavier at the time, more stuff moved through during the day. Right now they're still saying more off & on light freezing rain through tomorrow, heavier in some areas. I think the big thing saving this area is that the temperature is just at or a couple of degrees below freezing; if it were, say, 28 or below we'd be screwed. As is, a lot has melted after landing on the roads, and the trees right here just have a thin coat of ice.
By the way, just in case any of the people involved read this, I'd like to pass on something you seem to have forgotten since last winter(assuming you learned it then):
DON'T HIT THE BRAKES WHEN YOU'RE GOING UP AN ICY HILL. You have this thing called 'momentum' when you start up, and if you use the brakes, you slow down. And get stuck. And EVERYBODY BEHIND YOU gets stuck, too.
There. Isn't that simple?
I'm hoping for the best out of this, which would be nasty roads but no huge power outages. I hate having no electricity anytime, winter being right up there with mid-summer for the worst times.
After thinking about things to do after last years' storm, I realized a while back that that little two-burner unit I use for bluing will work very nicely in the house for cooking if need be, and I've got one full and one mostly-full bottle that'll run it or the grill outside. Also on the 'hoping I don't need them' list: a gallon of lamp oil for the two lamps and lots of candles, half a dozen small propane bottles for the lantern, and several good wool blankets. And half a dozen big bottles of water and a case of small bottles. I've been saving bleach bottles for emergency water storage, and may fill a few more when I get home. Just in case. And food, including a case of MREs.
I think the worst weather 'event' (as the weather weenies like to put it) I've been through was in the early 70's. I got to sit up late to watch the weather in winter(that part of the state you start paying attention early) and the forecast was for "flurries, we don't think there will be much accumulation." Dad looked out the door and then called me over. Turned on his Kel-Light and shined it out front, and it was showing so hard you could barely see the trees about twenty feet from the door; he announced that it was the hardest flurry he'd ever seen.
Next morning I woke up and it was bright in the room, and my first thought was "I'm late for school!" Jumped up, looked out the window and "Oh no I'm not!" Dad's patrol car was parked at the curb, and the only thing showing was the bubble on top. The fence in the back yard was now six inches high and the dogs were wandering around. In fields around town with no drifts there was an even 36" of snow. The official record says it was only a couple of counties west of us that got that much, but I will state they're wrong. Absolutely nothing was moving, and the National Guard was called out to do helicopter drops of hay to livestock, as on most farms you couldn't even get the barn doors open, let alone a tractor or truck out. It took three days for the county to get enough graders out and working to clear streets and roads in and around Medford. Powerlines generally stayed up, not many outages, and pretty much all the farms outside of the town gas lines had their own propane or butane tanks for heat. First time I'd ever actually been able to dig a tunnel in snow.
Barring the weather weenies blowing it bigtime on conditions, this shouldn't be nearly as bad as the ice storm last year, or the one a couple of years before that: that one put three inches of ice on much of the northwest 1/4 of the state. Power lines weren't just broken, hundreds of poles broke under the stress of the ice and wind. Friend of mine had no power for almost a month.
*Of course, according to a friend in Fort Worth it was 50 and raining there today.
So far the ice has been not too bad in the Oklahoma City area: icy in some spots, less so in others on the way to work this morning. I went out about nine to scrape my windows and discovered that it was thundering like a spring storm and sleeting. A bit south & east of here the freezing rain was heavier at the time, more stuff moved through during the day. Right now they're still saying more off & on light freezing rain through tomorrow, heavier in some areas. I think the big thing saving this area is that the temperature is just at or a couple of degrees below freezing; if it were, say, 28 or below we'd be screwed. As is, a lot has melted after landing on the roads, and the trees right here just have a thin coat of ice.
By the way, just in case any of the people involved read this, I'd like to pass on something you seem to have forgotten since last winter(assuming you learned it then):
DON'T HIT THE BRAKES WHEN YOU'RE GOING UP AN ICY HILL. You have this thing called 'momentum' when you start up, and if you use the brakes, you slow down. And get stuck. And EVERYBODY BEHIND YOU gets stuck, too.
There. Isn't that simple?
I'm hoping for the best out of this, which would be nasty roads but no huge power outages. I hate having no electricity anytime, winter being right up there with mid-summer for the worst times.
After thinking about things to do after last years' storm, I realized a while back that that little two-burner unit I use for bluing will work very nicely in the house for cooking if need be, and I've got one full and one mostly-full bottle that'll run it or the grill outside. Also on the 'hoping I don't need them' list: a gallon of lamp oil for the two lamps and lots of candles, half a dozen small propane bottles for the lantern, and several good wool blankets. And half a dozen big bottles of water and a case of small bottles. I've been saving bleach bottles for emergency water storage, and may fill a few more when I get home. Just in case. And food, including a case of MREs.
I think the worst weather 'event' (as the weather weenies like to put it) I've been through was in the early 70's. I got to sit up late to watch the weather in winter(that part of the state you start paying attention early) and the forecast was for "flurries, we don't think there will be much accumulation." Dad looked out the door and then called me over. Turned on his Kel-Light and shined it out front, and it was showing so hard you could barely see the trees about twenty feet from the door; he announced that it was the hardest flurry he'd ever seen.
Next morning I woke up and it was bright in the room, and my first thought was "I'm late for school!" Jumped up, looked out the window and "Oh no I'm not!" Dad's patrol car was parked at the curb, and the only thing showing was the bubble on top. The fence in the back yard was now six inches high and the dogs were wandering around. In fields around town with no drifts there was an even 36" of snow. The official record says it was only a couple of counties west of us that got that much, but I will state they're wrong. Absolutely nothing was moving, and the National Guard was called out to do helicopter drops of hay to livestock, as on most farms you couldn't even get the barn doors open, let alone a tractor or truck out. It took three days for the county to get enough graders out and working to clear streets and roads in and around Medford. Powerlines generally stayed up, not many outages, and pretty much all the farms outside of the town gas lines had their own propane or butane tanks for heat. First time I'd ever actually been able to dig a tunnel in snow.
Barring the weather weenies blowing it bigtime on conditions, this shouldn't be nearly as bad as the ice storm last year, or the one a couple of years before that: that one put three inches of ice on much of the northwest 1/4 of the state. Power lines weren't just broken, hundreds of poles broke under the stress of the ice and wind. Friend of mine had no power for almost a month.
*Of course, according to a friend in Fort Worth it was 50 and raining there today.
Normally I do my best to ignore idiot celebrities, but
George Lopez Sucks!
George Lopez Sucks!
George Lopez Sucks!
I normally would try to ignore this, too, but this is the second time he's said something along these lines.
And I really used to enjoy his stuff.
George Lopez Sucks!
George Lopez Sucks!
I normally would try to ignore this, too, but this is the second time he's said something along these lines.
And I really used to enjoy his stuff.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
And you know "can take a 30-round clip" will morph to
"can possibly be modified to take a 30-round clip" and then back to "nobody needs a gun with a magazine for hunting" and then...
Here's another reason not to have 'hate crime' laws
Because when someone in a protected group commits a crime, the weenies dance around trying to decide whether it is a 'hate crime' or not.
To Marylandofficious jackassesofficials: knock it off. These little dirtbags committed- at least- assault and battery, and a strong case could probably be made for attempted murder. Stop playing your damned politically-correct games and charge them with the damn crimes. And put their sorry asses in jail.
Malkin also points to this piece of dirtbag behavior and official idiocy:
A Boston firefighter is mending from what could have been deadly stab wounds he suffered early yesterday morning when he was allegedly jumped in East Boston while off duty by a group of Hispanic males who told him they “don’t want any gringo here.”
Though police are not classifying the incident as racially fueled, the Boston Police Department’s Community Disorders Unit is investigating. The 32-year-old jake, whose name officials were not releasing, is white.
Gee, bunch of latino dirtbags attack a white guy and try to murder him, saying they "don't want any gringo here"(any guesses about how many of these little bastards are illegals?), and the Boston PD is playing word games. Note to Boston PD: read the above advice to MA idiots like yourselves.
To Maryland
Malkin also points to this piece of dirtbag behavior and official idiocy:
A Boston firefighter is mending from what could have been deadly stab wounds he suffered early yesterday morning when he was allegedly jumped in East Boston while off duty by a group of Hispanic males who told him they “don’t want any gringo here.”
Though police are not classifying the incident as racially fueled, the Boston Police Department’s Community Disorders Unit is investigating. The 32-year-old jake, whose name officials were not releasing, is white.
Gee, bunch of latino dirtbags attack a white guy and try to murder him, saying they "don't want any gringo here"(any guesses about how many of these little bastards are illegals?), and the Boston PD is playing word games. Note to Boston PD: read the above advice to MA idiots like yourselves.
Friday, December 07, 2007
I'm sure you've heard of the 'puppets' comment
by Sen. Harry Reid(Backstabber-NV), and the response from Sen. Arlen Specter(Two-Faced Weenie-PA). I just love it that after all the crap he's pulled over time, Specter gets so bent out of shape(in a very dignified, senatorial way, of course) over this. Besides that, his response was lame. The PROPER response would be something like:
"That's very interesting. Senator Reid has the hand of George Soros so far up his ass it's tickling his tonsils, and he calls someone else a puppet? Interesting."
"That's very interesting. Senator Reid has the hand of George Soros so far up his ass it's tickling his tonsils, and he calls someone else a puppet? Interesting."
"We should be more like England and Canada and Europe:
Things are so much better there!"
George MacFarlane, the Fredericton shopkeeper who discharged his shotgun at departing thieves, should count himself lucky. Found guilty of careless use of a firearm, he's been ordered to take an "anger-management" course (though, in truth, he seems to manage his anger with an impressively cool efficiency). In England, by contrast, a Norfolk farmer who did exactly as Mr. MacFarlane did in exactly the same circumstances (he'd suffered repeated break-ins) now finds himself charged with murder. His victim, a teenage burglar from Nottingham who practised his profession assiduously throughout the English Midlands and East Anglia, was described by his tearful mum as a "lovable rogue" with many redeeming qualities: for example, "he would never steal from the family."
Though different in degree, both prosecutions reflect the long-held principle that the Crown should have a monopoly on law enforcement: Relax, goes the argument; the Mounties always they get their man -- i.e., leave it to the professionals. But in practice, in both Canada and Britain, the professionals find it easier to get you instead.
In France?
George MacFarlane, the Fredericton shopkeeper who discharged his shotgun at departing thieves, should count himself lucky. Found guilty of careless use of a firearm, he's been ordered to take an "anger-management" course (though, in truth, he seems to manage his anger with an impressively cool efficiency). In England, by contrast, a Norfolk farmer who did exactly as Mr. MacFarlane did in exactly the same circumstances (he'd suffered repeated break-ins) now finds himself charged with murder. His victim, a teenage burglar from Nottingham who practised his profession assiduously throughout the English Midlands and East Anglia, was described by his tearful mum as a "lovable rogue" with many redeeming qualities: for example, "he would never steal from the family."
Though different in degree, both prosecutions reflect the long-held principle that the Crown should have a monopoly on law enforcement: Relax, goes the argument; the Mounties always they get their man -- i.e., leave it to the professionals. But in practice, in both Canada and Britain, the professionals find it easier to get you instead.
In France?
Frederic Pons, the editor of Valeurs Actuelles, a magazine where Anne-Lorraine had worked as an intern, wrote on the magazine's blog: "When will this rapist with his knife leave prison? After 8, 10, 15 years? Our society must pluck up the courage to remove him from society once and for all. If we do not do this the fathers, the brothers, the uncles will. In the name of justified violence."
The next day Mr. Pons removed his post from his blog. His text was deemed an incitement to violence. It is taboo in Europe to say that if the state fails to protect the citizens, the citizens should do so themselves. There is no Second Amendment in Europe. Even European politicians from the so-called "right," like Mr. Sarkozy, are horrified at the suggestion that citizens should be allowed to protect themselves against criminals. Last year, Mr. Sarkozy told French radio: "Security is the responsibility of the state. I am against the private ownership of firearms. If you are assaulted by an armed burglar, he will use his weapon more effectively than you anyway, so you are risking your life."
Kevin pointed this out in a comment the other day, and it's a truly disgusting example of "Let the State take care of you. Or else." If you are assaulted by an armed burglar, he will use his weapon more effectively than you anyway, so you are risking your life. DAMN it. Mr. Sarkozy, when you're attacked by an 'armed burglar', your life is ALREADY IN DANGER! How the HELL could you make it worse by using a weapon to defend yourself?
Frickin' stupid, dumbass, statist,(mumble, mumble...)
Dumbass legislators are to be found everywhere,
even here.
In response to recent announcements regarding a proposal to make English the official language of the state of Oklahoma, Senator Jeff Rabon on Thursday said he will do everything in his power to ensure such a measure would not win the approval of the Senate.
...
“I feel like this highlights an intolerance and insensitivity to our history and background,” said Rabon, D-Hugo.
...
"We have folks here from all over the world, but we also have more than 40 Indian tribes all with their own unique language. I think we ought to be going the other direction and doing more to honor and highlight the fact that we have so many sovereign nations with their own languages and cultures.”
Left unspoken is how many languages he things drivers license tests should be given in, how many languages voting ballots should be printed in, etc.
In response to recent announcements regarding a proposal to make English the official language of the state of Oklahoma, Senator Jeff Rabon on Thursday said he will do everything in his power to ensure such a measure would not win the approval of the Senate.
...
“I feel like this highlights an intolerance and insensitivity to our history and background,” said Rabon, D-Hugo.
...
"We have folks here from all over the world, but we also have more than 40 Indian tribes all with their own unique language. I think we ought to be going the other direction and doing more to honor and highlight the fact that we have so many sovereign nations with their own languages and cultures.”
Left unspoken is how many languages he things drivers license tests should be given in, how many languages voting ballots should be printed in, etc.
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