Much like Venezuela, but with a bit better press.
Those who do have laptops, smart phones and tablets only managed to
acquire them because their relatives who escaped bought them in Florida.
The government doesn’t mind too much since only a handful of wi-fi
hotspots even exist, and using them is prohibitively expensive for just
about everybody.
The Castro government is under relentless pressure from both inside
and outside the country to lighten up, so it promises to boost access to
the Internet by creating 35 wi-fi hotspots around the country. Stop for
a second and ponder that sentence. Think about all it implies and
you’ll understand why Cuba is so far behind almost every other country
on earth and why, Castro propaganda to the contrary, it is not because
of the US embargo.
...
The United States has a minimum wage. Cuba has a maximum wage, and it’s just 20 dollars a month. Cubans are required by law
to be poor. Prosperity is a crime. And when I visited the island in
2013, it cost 15 dollars an hour access the Internet on a shared dial-up
connection in a hotel lobby. It goes without saying that nobody who
ekes out a meager existence on the state-imposed maximum wage and a
ration card could afford that. Those hotspots were strictly for
tourists.
The government recently dropped the price to $2.25 an hour.
That sounds almost reasonable, except for two things. It’s still vastly
more expensive than using the Internet in America—which is free at most
public hotspots and only costs a few dozen dollars per month
to use at home. Cuba’s new “low” price still costs more than ten percent
of a person’s monthly salary, and that’s just to use the Internet for
an hour.
But don't worry, idiots will still wear Che shirts and proclaim any problems in Cuba are the fault of the evil United States.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
I missed an anniversary: The breaking of the Turkish seige of Vienna, 1683
On September 12th, to be precise.
Even though the Christian army could not get most of its artillery over the mountains and into place, its steady attack and greater numbers proved impossible to withstand. First, the Saxons and Imperial troops attacked from the Kahlenberg heights; then additional Imperial troops advanced on the Ottoman center. The Ottomans launched a counterattack, but in twenty minutes they had been beaten back. Because of deep ravines and other terrain problems, the Poles had been slow to engage, but when they came in on the Christian right, the battle was decided. At about 4 p.m., the various Christian forces advanced on all sides, Sobieski leading his “winged hussars” in what was a decisive charge against the Ottoman cavalry. By late afternoon, the Turkish lines began to waver. A desperate Kara Mustafa led his personal escort into the fray, hoping to withstand the Christian onslaught, but could do no more than rescue the flag of the Prophet.
“We came, we saw, and God conquered,” wrote Sobieski to Pope Innocent XI, echoing Julius Caesar’s famous remark on the conquest of Pontus, in modern Turkey. The siege was ended.
Those Turks who had not been killed or captured fled back toward Belgrade. Kara Mustafa succeeded in taking most of his treasure with him, but it would do him little good. As so often happened to those who had failed the sultan, he was strangled two months later.
Even though the Christian army could not get most of its artillery over the mountains and into place, its steady attack and greater numbers proved impossible to withstand. First, the Saxons and Imperial troops attacked from the Kahlenberg heights; then additional Imperial troops advanced on the Ottoman center. The Ottomans launched a counterattack, but in twenty minutes they had been beaten back. Because of deep ravines and other terrain problems, the Poles had been slow to engage, but when they came in on the Christian right, the battle was decided. At about 4 p.m., the various Christian forces advanced on all sides, Sobieski leading his “winged hussars” in what was a decisive charge against the Ottoman cavalry. By late afternoon, the Turkish lines began to waver. A desperate Kara Mustafa led his personal escort into the fray, hoping to withstand the Christian onslaught, but could do no more than rescue the flag of the Prophet.
“We came, we saw, and God conquered,” wrote Sobieski to Pope Innocent XI, echoing Julius Caesar’s famous remark on the conquest of Pontus, in modern Turkey. The siege was ended.
Those Turks who had not been killed or captured fled back toward Belgrade. Kara Mustafa succeeded in taking most of his treasure with him, but it would do him little good. As so often happened to those who had failed the sultan, he was strangled two months later.
Bullet lube
If you cast bullets, you're familiar with the subject; they have to have lube in the grooves or they'll foul the barrel. Badly. You're also aware that, like everything else, the price of the stuff is up.
Well, when I was looking over information on black-powder cartridge loading I ran across an article(here, it's a pdf) that had a number of make-it-yourself lube recipes. Short version is that in cartridges loaded with black, the lube both has to lubricate the bullet as it goes down the barrel, it also helps keep the powder fouling soft. Softer, at least. And such lubes tend to work well with cast bullets and smokeless propellant as well. So I decided to try one, directions from the linked article:
Well, when I was looking over information on black-powder cartridge loading I ran across an article(here, it's a pdf) that had a number of make-it-yourself lube recipes. Short version is that in cartridges loaded with black, the lube both has to lubricate the bullet as it goes down the barrel, it also helps keep the powder fouling soft. Softer, at least. And such lubes tend to work well with cast bullets and smokeless propellant as well. So I decided to try one, directions from the linked article:
(1) Melt 4oz by weight bees wax in a Pyrex dish in your microwave on high 12 minutes orSo far we've only used it with smokeless loads. Procedure has been to put on gloves, take a bullet swipe up some lube and wipe it into the grooves, then push the bullet through the sizing die(Lee). So far it's worked beautifully; no trace of lead fouling in the bore. So I'm going to try it on some other cartridges and see how it works out. If it's good, well, I found directions for how to make your own lube sticks...
until melted.
(2) Add 2oz of pure Neatsfoot oil by volume (use one of those little plastic measuring
cups). Pure Neatsfoot oil can be found in most well-stocked Tac shops.
(2) Add in 2oz of Murphy’s oil Soap, pour slowly, and be careful! When you’re adding
the soap it has a tendency to boil over. The soap causes spontification, which raises the
melting temperature of the lube. Stir the mix until all the lumps are gone. Then either
pour it into a suitable container or directly into your lubesizer.
Dear Merchant:
If your website requires me to approve a whole bloody list of scripts in order for me to look at what you have, I'll probably go somewhere else.
Sincerely, etc.
Sincerely, etc.
And this kind of crap is why the EffingBI isn't trusted
"The Director decides what you get to see."
"The hell he does."
Sooner or later, with State, with the EffingBI, with the IRS, all of them, it's going to come down to "We don't want to obey that, and you can't make us."
"We'll see about that, we're sending some US Marshalls(or whoever) to arrest you for violating the law."
If it doesn't, they'll keep playing "We don't have to obey the law, WE'RE the (WHATEVER)!"
Comey the Incorruptible, my ass.
"The hell he does."
Sooner or later, with State, with the EffingBI, with the IRS, all of them, it's going to come down to "We don't want to obey that, and you can't make us."
"We'll see about that, we're sending some US Marshalls(or whoever) to arrest you for violating the law."
If it doesn't, they'll keep playing "We don't have to obey the law, WE'RE the (WHATEVER)!"
Comey the Incorruptible, my ass.
About those British crime numbers,
One of the biggest police forces in the country fails to record more than 38,000 reported crimes each year, including a quarter of violent offences.
Greater Manchester police (GMP) were graded “inadequate” at recording crime, and a watchdog found officers were also wrongly cancelling recorded violence, robbery and sex offences.
Several agencies giving "...a lack of knowledge amongst officers and staff about their responsibilities to record crime.” as the reason.
And while some crimes aren't being recorded,
The number of prosecutions brought for sexual offences has risen to its highest level ever, jumping 22.5 per cent on last year.
Be it noted there are a couple of problems with this. One of them is
Ms Saunders warned of a "growing trend" of offences perpetrated on or through social media.
"The use of the internet, social media and other forms of technology to humiliate, control and threaten individuals is rising,” she said.
Considering the loose way 'humiliate' and 'threaten' are defined by some, that sets off some warning bells. And then there's this:
However in recent months the CPS has been criticised for prosecuting cases than have ended in collapse.
In May a judge criticised a police officer and the CPS for their handling of accusations of gang rape against four agricultural students, which fell apart just as the trial was due to start. He said they bore responsibility for failing to disclose “game-changing” evidence to the defence teams of the men.
In plain language, "You had evidence that would cast doubt on the case, or clear the accused, and you hid it. You wanted a conviction whether they were guilty or not." Sounds like some of the prosecutors we want jailed here, doesn't it?
At the time, the police force said they and the CPS would review the judge’s comments “to learn the lessons of this case.”
How about you don't hide evidence that clears the accused? How hard is that to learn?
That's bad enough; this case is worse, and is why I have real doubts of that 'sexual offenses' number:
An award-winning actress appearing in the upcoming sixth season of Game of Thrones has been outed as the woman who falsely accused Mark Pearson of rape after he walked past her. Souad Faress claimed that Pearson digitally penetrated her, violating her inside her underwear, for several seconds in the middle of Waterloo Station in London.
Despite video evidence showing the male artist had a newspaper in one hand and was holding the strap of his backpack in the other, he was tracked down using his electronic public transportation card and charged. Furthermore, Pearson was in range of sexagenarian Faress’ body, let alone her genitals, for no more than about half a second.
...
Yet it gets worse. Faress, to try and bolster her fraudulent account, said she screamed and no one helped her. CCTV footage conclusively disproved this. To boot, Pearson did not break stride, discrediting her other claim that he smashed into her shoulder. Most shockingly of all, the lying thespian could not even point him out in an “identity parade.” That did not stop the Crown Prosecution Service from prosecuting Pearson until its representatives were rebuked by the judge and a jury quickly exonerated him.
So, with video evidence that it didn't happen, the Crown Prosecution Service still tracked him down, charged, and tried him. Which ought to result in criminal charges against the prosecutors.
And yet more:
The first leader of Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council, Sara Thornton, says that British residents cannot expect police to respond to burglary reportsanymore. Because of funding cuts, Ms. Thornton, the former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, says that online abuse cases and allegations of “sexual assault” will take precedence.
Well, hell, maybe if the CPS wasn't wasting money prosecuting innocent people, you'd have some more cash for investigating actual CRIMES? Which, by the way, do not include "He posted/tweeted something that hurt my feelings!"
Greater Manchester police (GMP) were graded “inadequate” at recording crime, and a watchdog found officers were also wrongly cancelling recorded violence, robbery and sex offences.
Several agencies giving "...a lack of knowledge amongst officers and staff about their responsibilities to record crime.” as the reason.
And while some crimes aren't being recorded,
The number of prosecutions brought for sexual offences has risen to its highest level ever, jumping 22.5 per cent on last year.
Be it noted there are a couple of problems with this. One of them is
Ms Saunders warned of a "growing trend" of offences perpetrated on or through social media.
"The use of the internet, social media and other forms of technology to humiliate, control and threaten individuals is rising,” she said.
Considering the loose way 'humiliate' and 'threaten' are defined by some, that sets off some warning bells. And then there's this:
However in recent months the CPS has been criticised for prosecuting cases than have ended in collapse.
In May a judge criticised a police officer and the CPS for their handling of accusations of gang rape against four agricultural students, which fell apart just as the trial was due to start. He said they bore responsibility for failing to disclose “game-changing” evidence to the defence teams of the men.
In plain language, "You had evidence that would cast doubt on the case, or clear the accused, and you hid it. You wanted a conviction whether they were guilty or not." Sounds like some of the prosecutors we want jailed here, doesn't it?
At the time, the police force said they and the CPS would review the judge’s comments “to learn the lessons of this case.”
How about you don't hide evidence that clears the accused? How hard is that to learn?
That's bad enough; this case is worse, and is why I have real doubts of that 'sexual offenses' number:
An award-winning actress appearing in the upcoming sixth season of Game of Thrones has been outed as the woman who falsely accused Mark Pearson of rape after he walked past her. Souad Faress claimed that Pearson digitally penetrated her, violating her inside her underwear, for several seconds in the middle of Waterloo Station in London.
Despite video evidence showing the male artist had a newspaper in one hand and was holding the strap of his backpack in the other, he was tracked down using his electronic public transportation card and charged. Furthermore, Pearson was in range of sexagenarian Faress’ body, let alone her genitals, for no more than about half a second.
...
Yet it gets worse. Faress, to try and bolster her fraudulent account, said she screamed and no one helped her. CCTV footage conclusively disproved this. To boot, Pearson did not break stride, discrediting her other claim that he smashed into her shoulder. Most shockingly of all, the lying thespian could not even point him out in an “identity parade.” That did not stop the Crown Prosecution Service from prosecuting Pearson until its representatives were rebuked by the judge and a jury quickly exonerated him.
So, with video evidence that it didn't happen, the Crown Prosecution Service still tracked him down, charged, and tried him. Which ought to result in criminal charges against the prosecutors.
And yet more:
The first leader of Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council, Sara Thornton, says that British residents cannot expect police to respond to burglary reportsanymore. Because of funding cuts, Ms. Thornton, the former Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, says that online abuse cases and allegations of “sexual assault” will take precedence.
Well, hell, maybe if the CPS wasn't wasting money prosecuting innocent people, you'd have some more cash for investigating actual CRIMES? Which, by the way, do not include "He posted/tweeted something that hurt my feelings!"
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
'I won't date a feminist, because why date someone who hates men?'
Feminists prove the wisdom of his decision.
When Barney Frank's then-boyfriend got a nice-paying job at Fannie Mae while Frank was on the committee regulating it, "Oh no, there's no conflict of interest, we're very careful about that." From a vicious clown who, if it'd been a Republican doing the same thing, would've demanded trials and heads on pikes.
Same thing when John Effing Kerry's family gets large amounts of money for her foundation from the State Department Kerry runs. Without competition, yet.
Laws and rules are for the peasants.
Koskinen should be impeached. And tried for lying under oath. Probably won't happen, as the Democrats in the Senate will protect the bastard.
So her excuse now is "If I don't think something is a big deal, why be bothered about me lying about it?"
Well, she doesn't think her lying about BIG things should be a problem, either.
SEEBS: journalistic integrity on display
Yes, ATF still sucks. And until the corrupt brass and agents start getting fired and prosecuted, it won't change.
When Barney Frank's then-boyfriend got a nice-paying job at Fannie Mae while Frank was on the committee regulating it, "Oh no, there's no conflict of interest, we're very careful about that." From a vicious clown who, if it'd been a Republican doing the same thing, would've demanded trials and heads on pikes.
Same thing when John Effing Kerry's family gets large amounts of money for her foundation from the State Department Kerry runs. Without competition, yet.
Laws and rules are for the peasants.
Koskinen should be impeached. And tried for lying under oath. Probably won't happen, as the Democrats in the Senate will protect the bastard.
So her excuse now is "If I don't think something is a big deal, why be bothered about me lying about it?"
Well, she doesn't think her lying about BIG things should be a problem, either.
SEEBS: journalistic integrity on display
Yes, ATF still sucks. And until the corrupt brass and agents start getting fired and prosecuted, it won't change.
"Security? We don't need no stinking security."
Mr Cooper just admitted he had complete access to Hillary's server and had no security clearance
Add that to this:
Two employees for the tech firm that managed Hillary Clinton’s private email server invoked their Fifth Amendment rights in a House hearing on Tuesday.
Paul Combetta and Bill Thornton both appeared in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for a hearing to examine the preservation of Clinton’s State Department emails.
One of the more interesting parts:
Combetta’s immunity agreement has angered some Republican lawmakers because he seemingly lied to the FBI during one of two interviews he attended earlier this year.
According to the FBI’s report of its Clinton email investigation, Combetta gave conflicting answers when asked about his decision to use a software program called BleachBit to delete backups of Clinton’s emails from PRN’s servers.
I could be mistaken, but I think that, if they find that you lied to them, the immunity agreement can go out the window, AND you'd be liable for lying to a federal investigator.
Of course, that assumes the EffingBI actually wanted to get to the bottom of this.
"We had probable cause!" Yeah, right.
Reason #468 to get rid of the EPA: lies and corruption.
McCarthy said the spill was an “unfortunate accident” in a 2015 speech. The EPA head changed her tune shortly thereafter, avoiding labeling the spill an “accident” in her prepared testimony before House lawmakers in September, 2015, instead calling the spill an “unfortunate incident.”
EPA officials have been more circumscribed in their references to the Gold King Mine. The agency has a long history of practicing avoidance procedures when taken to task for mistakes and accidents.
Senior EPA officials in 2015, for instance, largely ignored complaints by 16 women — mostly employees — accusing one agency official of sexual harassment. The employee got promoted despite the complaints.
It found itself roiled in another scandal in May, 2015, when the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing showing that the EPA paid a registered sex offender to retire, rather than terminating his employment.
Add that to this:
Two employees for the tech firm that managed Hillary Clinton’s private email server invoked their Fifth Amendment rights in a House hearing on Tuesday.
Paul Combetta and Bill Thornton both appeared in front of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for a hearing to examine the preservation of Clinton’s State Department emails.
One of the more interesting parts:
Combetta’s immunity agreement has angered some Republican lawmakers because he seemingly lied to the FBI during one of two interviews he attended earlier this year.
According to the FBI’s report of its Clinton email investigation, Combetta gave conflicting answers when asked about his decision to use a software program called BleachBit to delete backups of Clinton’s emails from PRN’s servers.
I could be mistaken, but I think that, if they find that you lied to them, the immunity agreement can go out the window, AND you'd be liable for lying to a federal investigator.
Of course, that assumes the EffingBI actually wanted to get to the bottom of this.
"We had probable cause!" Yeah, right.
Reason #468 to get rid of the EPA: lies and corruption.
McCarthy said the spill was an “unfortunate accident” in a 2015 speech. The EPA head changed her tune shortly thereafter, avoiding labeling the spill an “accident” in her prepared testimony before House lawmakers in September, 2015, instead calling the spill an “unfortunate incident.”
EPA officials have been more circumscribed in their references to the Gold King Mine. The agency has a long history of practicing avoidance procedures when taken to task for mistakes and accidents.
Senior EPA officials in 2015, for instance, largely ignored complaints by 16 women — mostly employees — accusing one agency official of sexual harassment. The employee got promoted despite the complaints.
It found itself roiled in another scandal in May, 2015, when the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing showing that the EPA paid a registered sex offender to retire, rather than terminating his employment.
Sounds like the cold water preserved it well
Almost 170 years after British polar explorer Sir John
Franklin’s doomed attempt to complete the Northwest passage in two
warships, the second of the missing vessels – the HMS Terror has been located.
The ship was found at the bottom of the Arctic, in the aptly named Terror Bay. The expedition, led by Captain Sir John Franklin, had departed England in 1845 in search of the Northwest Passage.
Found about 60 miles from where they expected it to be.
Punching back hard: Couric and director being sued
Film producer Katie Couric and her director Stephanie Soechtig edited their anti-gun documentary Under the Gun in order to make a gun rights group in Virginia look as if they couldn’t answer a simple question.
They’re now facing a $12 million defamation lawsuit, according to documents provided to Bearing Arms.
Good.
They’re now facing a $12 million defamation lawsuit, according to documents provided to Bearing Arms.
Good.
So Facebook says "We think you have malware, so
we insist you download THIS antivirus program and use it on your computer."
Fuck you, Zuckerbitch and minions. I'm supposed to trust crap that you insist I download? Screw that.
Added: well, suddenly the insistence on 'use our a/v or else' is gone.
Update: so now I can log in, and post, but if I try to share anything, or throw in a link, "We think you're infected so you can't do this right now." Wonderful.
Fuck you, Zuckerbitch and minions. I'm supposed to trust crap that you insist I download? Screw that.
Added: well, suddenly the insistence on 'use our a/v or else' is gone.
Update: so now I can log in, and post, but if I try to share anything, or throw in a link, "We think you're infected so you can't do this right now." Wonderful.
Of course he will; can't cause problems for the king
he bowed to, now can we?
President Barack Obama will veto a bill that would allow terror victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001, to sue Saudi Arabia, the White House said Monday.
I think his main concern is that nasty US citizens not cause problems for a muslim country. And screw right or wrong.
More of that 'non-existent' vote fraud the Democrats say we shouldn't worry about.
How worried are the Democrats by Clinton's health problems? This worried:
Hillary Clinton was headed to an emergency room following her frightening collapse at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony — but detoured to daughter Chelsea Clinton’s apartment to keep details of her medical treatment under wraps, The Post has learned.
Speaking of, the Pravda version of all this is "You people are only talking about this because she's a woman!" Because everything can be explained by that, same as the 'You only disagree with Obama because he's black!' bullshit.
And if you had any doubts about CNN being the Clinton News Network, this ought to cover that.
As Insty says, think of most of the media as Democrat operatives with bylines, and you've got it.
Over in Russia,
"Despite the short-term discoloration of the water...this incident does not present a danger for people or fauna in the river," said a statement from Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest producer of nickel and other major industrial metals.
Who do they think they are, the EPA?
President Barack Obama will veto a bill that would allow terror victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001, to sue Saudi Arabia, the White House said Monday.
I think his main concern is that nasty US citizens not cause problems for a muslim country. And screw right or wrong.
More of that 'non-existent' vote fraud the Democrats say we shouldn't worry about.
How worried are the Democrats by Clinton's health problems? This worried:
Hillary Clinton was headed to an emergency room following her frightening collapse at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony — but detoured to daughter Chelsea Clinton’s apartment to keep details of her medical treatment under wraps, The Post has learned.
Speaking of, the Pravda version of all this is "You people are only talking about this because she's a woman!" Because everything can be explained by that, same as the 'You only disagree with Obama because he's black!' bullshit.
And if you had any doubts about CNN being the Clinton News Network, this ought to cover that.
As Insty says, think of most of the media as Democrat operatives with bylines, and you've got it.
Over in Russia,
"Despite the short-term discoloration of the water...this incident does not present a danger for people or fauna in the river," said a statement from Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest producer of nickel and other major industrial metals.
Who do they think they are, the EPA?
Monday, September 12, 2016
Barrett: when you care enough
to send your very best.
A British sniper took out a feared ISIS executioner as he prepared to murder several hostages by shooting a fuel tank on his back and incinerating him.
The SAS marksman fired a single round from his Barrett .50 calibre sniper rifle at the terrorist, who was about to use a flame thrower to kill 12, from 1,500m.
The bullet hit the flame thrower's fuel tank and caused a huge fireball, also killing three other ISIS members who were ready to film the execution.
And an even happier ending:
Shortly after the explosion, the prisoners - thought to be civilians - were freed by British and US special forces.
A British sniper took out a feared ISIS executioner as he prepared to murder several hostages by shooting a fuel tank on his back and incinerating him.
The SAS marksman fired a single round from his Barrett .50 calibre sniper rifle at the terrorist, who was about to use a flame thrower to kill 12, from 1,500m.
The bullet hit the flame thrower's fuel tank and caused a huge fireball, also killing three other ISIS members who were ready to film the execution.
And an even happier ending:
Shortly after the explosion, the prisoners - thought to be civilians - were freed by British and US special forces.
But Australia has the kind of gun laws Obama and Bloomberg say prevent all this!
Despite Australia’s strict gun control regime, criminals are now better armed than at any time since then-Prime Minister John Howard introduced a nationwide firearm buyback scheme in response to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Shootings have become almost a weekly occurrence, with more than 125 people, mostly young men, wounded in the past five years.
While the body count was higher during Melbourne’s ‘Underbelly War’ (1999-2005), more people have been seriously maimed in the recent spate of shootings and reprisals.
Crimes associated with firearm possession have also more than doubled, driven by the easy availability of handguns, semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and, increasingly, machine guns, that are smuggled into the country or stolen from licensed owners.
And
Criminal networks also create caches of illicit weapons, including machine guns and pistols with silencers, that are bought, sold and traded among the underworld in ways that are difficult for police to track.
Y'know, it's almost like all those gun laws mostly affect honest people or something, isn't it?
Shootings have become almost a weekly occurrence, with more than 125 people, mostly young men, wounded in the past five years.
While the body count was higher during Melbourne’s ‘Underbelly War’ (1999-2005), more people have been seriously maimed in the recent spate of shootings and reprisals.
Crimes associated with firearm possession have also more than doubled, driven by the easy availability of handguns, semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and, increasingly, machine guns, that are smuggled into the country or stolen from licensed owners.
And
Criminal networks also create caches of illicit weapons, including machine guns and pistols with silencers, that are bought, sold and traded among the underworld in ways that are difficult for police to track.
Y'know, it's almost like all those gun laws mostly affect honest people or something, isn't it?
It must be nice to get away with ignoring the law, and explaining
"We'll obey it later."
The Department of Veterans Affairs over the summer quietly stopped sharing data on the quality of care at its facilities with a national database for consumers, despite a 2014 law requiring the agency to report more comprehensive statistics to the site so veterans can make informed decisions about where to seek care.
...
After the VA scandal, Congress passed the law mandating the VA to submit even more data. But the VA confirmed to USA TODAY last week that it stopped reporting its information July 1.
Joe Francis, director of clinical analytics and reporting at the Veterans Health Administration, said lawyers at HHS advised the VA to pull the plug until the two agencies could work out a new deal governing the sharing of information.
“It’s deeply frustrating to us, and it’s our commitment to get back online as soon as we can,” he said.
Well, guess what, Francis? It's deeply frustrating to us that you think you can ignore the law.
And it's deeply frustrating to hear that government lawyers told you "Stop following the law until we decide you should obey it again."
The VA: screwing veterans daily. And showing us what Obamacare will become.
The Department of Veterans Affairs over the summer quietly stopped sharing data on the quality of care at its facilities with a national database for consumers, despite a 2014 law requiring the agency to report more comprehensive statistics to the site so veterans can make informed decisions about where to seek care.
...
After the VA scandal, Congress passed the law mandating the VA to submit even more data. But the VA confirmed to USA TODAY last week that it stopped reporting its information July 1.
Joe Francis, director of clinical analytics and reporting at the Veterans Health Administration, said lawyers at HHS advised the VA to pull the plug until the two agencies could work out a new deal governing the sharing of information.
“It’s deeply frustrating to us, and it’s our commitment to get back online as soon as we can,” he said.
Well, guess what, Francis? It's deeply frustrating to us that you think you can ignore the law.
And it's deeply frustrating to hear that government lawyers told you "Stop following the law until we decide you should obey it again."
The VA: screwing veterans daily. And showing us what Obamacare will become.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
"We must defend the burkini! But morality squads beating people
for their attire, we don't talk about that."
Indignation and outrage is selective when it comes to defending women’s freedom of dress in France. After the international rush to the rescue of Burkini-wearers, French women donning shorts and/or sportswear, attacked as “whores” by a gang of men acting as “islamist morality police,” have attracted little solidarity from feminists and anti-racists.
Here’s what happened: For the second time in three months women have been victims of violent aggression in the French city of Toulon, allegedly because they were too scantily clad, in the minds of Muslim youth. On Sunday, a group of family cyclists and roller bladers made up of two couples, three children, and a family friend were set upon, and the adult males assaulted, by a gang of around 10 youths as they went past a public housing project.
Much like the 'feminists' who insist on respect for women, but crap all over any woman who doesn't hold the approved views, these 'feminists' won't defend women attacked by a protected species; just not done, y'know.
Indignation and outrage is selective when it comes to defending women’s freedom of dress in France. After the international rush to the rescue of Burkini-wearers, French women donning shorts and/or sportswear, attacked as “whores” by a gang of men acting as “islamist morality police,” have attracted little solidarity from feminists and anti-racists.
Here’s what happened: For the second time in three months women have been victims of violent aggression in the French city of Toulon, allegedly because they were too scantily clad, in the minds of Muslim youth. On Sunday, a group of family cyclists and roller bladers made up of two couples, three children, and a family friend were set upon, and the adult males assaulted, by a gang of around 10 youths as they went past a public housing project.
Much like the 'feminists' who insist on respect for women, but crap all over any woman who doesn't hold the approved views, these 'feminists' won't defend women attacked by a protected species; just not done, y'know.
Wonderful what the socialist revolution has brought to Venezuela,
isn't it?
This disturbing ritual, which was filmed by MailOnline in Mr Otrupo’s sitting-room in Caracas, Venezuela, may appear cruel to Western eyes. But to the father-of-five, the traditional healing ceremony was an act of desperation.
For the collapse of the economy has seen hospitals run out of drugs as shamans, herbalists, witches and priests cash in on people's fears.
...
When MailOnline visited the El Algodonal hospital, one of the largest in Caracas, there was no running water or toilet paper, let alone medication.
A five-month-old baby lay wheezing in a dirty cot as there were no drugs for her acute asthma. Her mother, too, was considering propitiating the gods.
This disturbing ritual, which was filmed by MailOnline in Mr Otrupo’s sitting-room in Caracas, Venezuela, may appear cruel to Western eyes. But to the father-of-five, the traditional healing ceremony was an act of desperation.
For the collapse of the economy has seen hospitals run out of drugs as shamans, herbalists, witches and priests cash in on people's fears.
...
When MailOnline visited the El Algodonal hospital, one of the largest in Caracas, there was no running water or toilet paper, let alone medication.
A five-month-old baby lay wheezing in a dirty cot as there were no drugs for her acute asthma. Her mother, too, was considering propitiating the gods.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
I'll put this bluntly: our Chickenshit in Chief (link fixed)
is exactly that.
As the raiders approached their target — a makeshift prison compound — they suddenly were ordered to stand down. The president, who was vacationing on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, did not have time to give the required final go-ahead. He wanted 24 hours to consider the rescue.
A day later, Obama approved the mission. The commandos relaunched. This time, they reached the target — only to find the hostages had been moved four hours prior, said sources with direct knowledge of events.
Remember the reports of him having to be dragged off the golf course and forced to make a decision on the bin Laden raid? Looks like it was true, and not a damn thing has changed.
The mission needed only one more thing: the final go-ahead from the president, authorizing the rescuers to execute. In one ready room, the radio crackled to life. Instead of delivering the expected verbal green light, though, the voice on the radio gave other news:
"'The president can't make time on his schedule to give the go-ahead,'" the security source said.
The vacationing president wanted to push the mission back 24 hours, the source said. The commandos peeled off, and returned to base. Col. Thomas declined to say where the base was located, or what it was named.
Bastard.
As the raiders approached their target — a makeshift prison compound — they suddenly were ordered to stand down. The president, who was vacationing on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, did not have time to give the required final go-ahead. He wanted 24 hours to consider the rescue.
A day later, Obama approved the mission. The commandos relaunched. This time, they reached the target — only to find the hostages had been moved four hours prior, said sources with direct knowledge of events.
Remember the reports of him having to be dragged off the golf course and forced to make a decision on the bin Laden raid? Looks like it was true, and not a damn thing has changed.
The mission needed only one more thing: the final go-ahead from the president, authorizing the rescuers to execute. In one ready room, the radio crackled to life. Instead of delivering the expected verbal green light, though, the voice on the radio gave other news:
"'The president can't make time on his schedule to give the go-ahead,'" the security source said.
The vacationing president wanted to push the mission back 24 hours, the source said. The commandos peeled off, and returned to base. Col. Thomas declined to say where the base was located, or what it was named.
Bastard.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)