ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- "An alleged home invader was shot and killed and another was stabbed early Thursday morning when six victims scattered during the break-in, found stashed weapons and attacked the assailants, according to police.
Orange County sheriff's investigators said at least three people broke into a home located at 2672 Muscatello Street in the Peppermill subdivision, fired a shot into the air and screamed, "We mean business."
Deputies said the victims scattered to safe places in the home where they knew that they had weapons stashed and fought back.
When I looked over, I was just thinking, 'What do I do to protect myself? What do I do right now? How can I keep them from stealing everything that I have and killing me?'" victim Allen Long, who was punched in the left eye with brass knuckles, said. "I stabbed him in the side with my pocketknife."
The attacker yelled to his cohorts for a gun after he was stabbed and stepped out of a room to get it, Long told Local 6 News. "I locked (the door) and ran out the back," Long said. "If I'd have stayed in there, I'd be dead right now for sure." One female was in the house during the attack. "When I started crying, they waved a gun at my face and told me not cry or else I'd get it," Jessica Goodson said.
A resident named Cody was in bed when one of the culprits stole his cell phone and beat him before leaving the bedroom. "Once he heard that guy yelling for the gun, Cody came out with his (AK-47) and took care of it," Goodson said. "It was definitely self-defense."
Officers said the victims seemingly did what they had to do during the attack. "All that we know for sure is that we have one black male suspect that has been shot and killed, and one man who's been stabbed and fled the residence,"
Orange County sheriff's Cmdr. Tom Cockriel said. "(They) defended themselves. That's very possible that's what this turned out to be."
I use the following process to determine how better to defend my home and hearth: If I were to assault this house, how would I go about it. Where are the strong points, the more vulnerable ones. Are enough weapons stashed to instantaneously defend myself should a break-in occur anywhere.
Sadly, there isn't a room stout enough to toss a grenade into, but I'm working on it.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
We Get Letters
"Doesn't the pressure wave theory solely rely upon light and fast bullets and if so do you personally see yourself switching...?"
In handgun calibers, the generation of a pressure wave...aka hydrostatic shock...does more often occur when a relatively lightweight round exceeds certain velocity standards.
For hunting and gelatin shooting and watermelon plinking, pressure wave is important. In the real world it is but one variable when determining the cessation of hostilities. Can't shoot an assailant then follow the blood trail a couple hundred yards to finish him off quite as easily as a deer. When using velocity alone as the primary killing factor, things just happen to get in the way that can and will cause the bullet to shed enough velocity to severely impede its terminal performance. A light bullet deflects far more readily than a heavier one, and when the murder-window is as small as it is with handgun speeds this can be quite the bother.
A 3000 fps .308 or 30-06 round can shed more than half its speed and still impact with enough oomph to generate a pressure wave. A 1400 fps round hits a wrist or a forearm and there goes the impetus.
And remember, gelatin penetration simulates a simulation in that it closely resembles skinned hog meat that closely resembles human tissue. Merely piercing the skin can take 2" of penetration off the total a bullet is designed to yield, and exiting the skin is even worse as it can be as tough as penetrating 4" of gelatin.
To be safe, take the following as an example; If a particular round has been shown to penetrate 12" of gelatin, remember that when entering and exiting something like an arm or even a hand, subtract 6" from that number to arrive at how deeply embedded the bullet will go, ASSUMING it does not hit ANY bone along the way. This is far more critical when discussing lighter weight rounds, as heavier ones employ MOMENTUM to continue penetrating long after their smaller brethren have called it quits.
It is the destruction of tissue that kills. As plain and simple as that. A bullet can use a pressure wave to destroy, or it can use it's mushrooming capabilities to destroy, it can use sheer weight, or in the best case scenario all of the above.
All things being equal, a 135 grain bullet traveling at 1400 fps will create a greater pressure wave than the same round cranking along at 1200 fps. When using such lightweight rounds, it is therefore advisable to select the faster over the slower.
Not that any of this is new. Sounds a lot like common sense, doesn't it. What the Pressure Wave Theory does is help to explain it all. Always bear in mind the following:
Gelatin testing does not take into consideration skin or bone.
Lighter projectiles rely upon speed to kill and anything diminishing the speed diminishes the ability to kill.
Shooting a game animal from ambush is NOT the same as defending oneself against an armed assailant.
The diameter of the bullet and its ability to penetrate remains as important as ever.
Learning to take head shots makes the entire discussion moot. Anything of .32 caliber or above will put an immediate halt to the proceedings, no ifs, ands, or buts. Failing that, keep moving, seek cover and/or concealment, and shoot to slide lock.
If you are not shooting you should be moving. And vice versa.
If the gun you bring to a gunfight is not of a caliber beginning with "4", it better be .357.
ALWAYS bear in mind that handguns are called sidearms for a very good reason. Since WE can't prance around with rifles its the only game in town so remember to be a much better shot with a pistol because you'll need the additional accuracy.
Hesitation kills. The bad guy WILL shoot you so don't wait until you feel the ventilation.
There are about a scazillion more so don't fret over any one thing such as Pressure Wave Theory. It's a piece to the puzzle, nothing more. Carry the biggest caliber you've learned to be accurate with and pressure wave, schmessure wave.
Just as all guns are loaded, everyone is a potential threat. The wife and kids aside of course. Don't even ask about the mother-in-law.
In handgun calibers, the generation of a pressure wave...aka hydrostatic shock...does more often occur when a relatively lightweight round exceeds certain velocity standards.
For hunting and gelatin shooting and watermelon plinking, pressure wave is important. In the real world it is but one variable when determining the cessation of hostilities. Can't shoot an assailant then follow the blood trail a couple hundred yards to finish him off quite as easily as a deer. When using velocity alone as the primary killing factor, things just happen to get in the way that can and will cause the bullet to shed enough velocity to severely impede its terminal performance. A light bullet deflects far more readily than a heavier one, and when the murder-window is as small as it is with handgun speeds this can be quite the bother.
A 3000 fps .308 or 30-06 round can shed more than half its speed and still impact with enough oomph to generate a pressure wave. A 1400 fps round hits a wrist or a forearm and there goes the impetus.
And remember, gelatin penetration simulates a simulation in that it closely resembles skinned hog meat that closely resembles human tissue. Merely piercing the skin can take 2" of penetration off the total a bullet is designed to yield, and exiting the skin is even worse as it can be as tough as penetrating 4" of gelatin.
To be safe, take the following as an example; If a particular round has been shown to penetrate 12" of gelatin, remember that when entering and exiting something like an arm or even a hand, subtract 6" from that number to arrive at how deeply embedded the bullet will go, ASSUMING it does not hit ANY bone along the way. This is far more critical when discussing lighter weight rounds, as heavier ones employ MOMENTUM to continue penetrating long after their smaller brethren have called it quits.
It is the destruction of tissue that kills. As plain and simple as that. A bullet can use a pressure wave to destroy, or it can use it's mushrooming capabilities to destroy, it can use sheer weight, or in the best case scenario all of the above.
All things being equal, a 135 grain bullet traveling at 1400 fps will create a greater pressure wave than the same round cranking along at 1200 fps. When using such lightweight rounds, it is therefore advisable to select the faster over the slower.
Not that any of this is new. Sounds a lot like common sense, doesn't it. What the Pressure Wave Theory does is help to explain it all. Always bear in mind the following:
Gelatin testing does not take into consideration skin or bone.
Lighter projectiles rely upon speed to kill and anything diminishing the speed diminishes the ability to kill.
Shooting a game animal from ambush is NOT the same as defending oneself against an armed assailant.
The diameter of the bullet and its ability to penetrate remains as important as ever.
Learning to take head shots makes the entire discussion moot. Anything of .32 caliber or above will put an immediate halt to the proceedings, no ifs, ands, or buts. Failing that, keep moving, seek cover and/or concealment, and shoot to slide lock.
If you are not shooting you should be moving. And vice versa.
If the gun you bring to a gunfight is not of a caliber beginning with "4", it better be .357.
ALWAYS bear in mind that handguns are called sidearms for a very good reason. Since WE can't prance around with rifles its the only game in town so remember to be a much better shot with a pistol because you'll need the additional accuracy.
Hesitation kills. The bad guy WILL shoot you so don't wait until you feel the ventilation.
There are about a scazillion more so don't fret over any one thing such as Pressure Wave Theory. It's a piece to the puzzle, nothing more. Carry the biggest caliber you've learned to be accurate with and pressure wave, schmessure wave.
Just as all guns are loaded, everyone is a potential threat. The wife and kids aside of course. Don't even ask about the mother-in-law.
Algore And The Truth...Never The Twain Shall Meet
"Many of the assertions Gore makes in his movie, ''An Inconvenient Truth,'' have been refuted by science, both before and after he made them. Gore can show sincerity in his plea for scientific honesty by publicly acknowledging where science has rebutted his claims.
For example, Gore claims that Himalayan glaciers are shrinking and global warming is to blame. Yet the September 2006 issue of the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate reported, "Glaciers are growing in the Himalayan Mountains, confounding global warming alarmists who recently claimed the glaciers were shrinking and that global warming was to blame."
Gore claims the snowcap atop Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro is shrinking and that global warming is to blame. Yet according to the November 23, 2003, issue of Nature magazine, "Although it's tempting to blame the ice loss on global warming, researchers think that deforestation of the mountain's foothills is the more likely culprit. Without the forests' humidity, previously moisture-laden winds blew dry. No longer replenished with water, the ice is evaporating in the strong equatorial sunshine."
Gore claims global warming is causing more tornadoes. Yet the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated in February that there has been no scientific link established between global warming and tornadoes.
Gore claims global warming is causing more frequent and severe hurricanes. However, hurricane expert Chris Landsea published a study on May 1 documenting that hurricane activity is no higher now than in decades past. Hurricane expert William Gray reported just a few days earlier, on April 27, that the number of major hurricanes making landfall on the U.S. Atlantic coast has declined in the past 40 years. Hurricane scientists reported in the April 18 Geophysical Research Letters that global warming enhances wind shear, which will prevent a significant increase in future hurricane activity.
Gore claims global warming is causing an expansion of African deserts. However, the Sept. 16, 2002, issue of New Scientist reports, "Africa's deserts are in 'spectacular' retreat . . . making farming viable again in what were some of the most arid parts of Africa."
Gore argues Greenland is in rapid meltdown, and that this threatens to raise sea levels by 20 feet. But according to a 2005 study in the Journal of Glaciology, "the Greenland ice sheet is thinning at the margins and growing inland, with a small overall mass gain." In late 2006, researchers at the Danish Meteorological Institute reported that the past two decades were the coldest for Greenland since the 1910s.
Gore claims the Antarctic ice sheet is melting because of global warming. Yet the Jan. 14, 2002, issue of Nature magazine reported Antarctica as a whole has been dramatically cooling for decades. More recently, scientists reported in the September 2006 issue of the British journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Series A: Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, that satellite measurements of the Antarctic ice sheet showed significant growth between 1992 and 2003. And the U.N. Climate Change panel reported in February 2007 that Antarctica is unlikely to lose any ice mass during the remainder of the century.
Each of these cases provides an opportunity for Gore to lead by example in his call for an end to the distortion of science. Will he rise to the occasion? Only time will tell."
I'll never forget the video of the Clinton's and Gore's touring D.C. after Ross Perot handed Slick Willy the Presidency. A tour guide was showing them a hall full of busts and Algore kept asking "And who might this be?" when shown the likenesses of Washington, and Jefferson, etc.
The man is incredibly stupid. Borderline retarded actually, and its no wonder his ghost-written tome is laden with errors. I seriously doubt the man can read without moving his lips, and he believes what the last person told him to be true because he's without the common sense to figure it out for himself. Since liberals as a whole are one dumbass gaggle, people like he gravitate towards other likeminded idiots, then the biggest idiot gets to be in charge for a while.
Radio goes dead after screams for 'Help'
"A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a 24-year-old geology student whose supervisor heard her scream for help on her radio before it went dead, authorities have reported.
The Rocky Mountain News identified the suspect as Robert R. Amos, 44, citing a source familiar with the case.
Alyssa Heberton Morimoto had been working in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest southwest of Denver with Karen Houck, a geology teacher at the Denver branch of the University of Colorado.
Authorities report the two had become separated by their duties, but remained in touch with global positioning system radios, and Houck suddenly heard the plea for help.
"She was screaming, 'Help me, help me!' and then the radio went dead," Vince Matthews, the survey director, said about the call by the student. Houck responded immediately to the GPS coordinates, but didn't find Morimoto. Authorities reported her body was found about 10 hours later in a nearby area of the forest. Park County sheriff Fred Wegener said a suspect was found with a rifle and was arrested on suspicion of murder. "We're still trying to figure out what all happened," he told The Denver Post. Authorities said during her frantic search, Houck encountered the suspect, who offered help. She got in his vehicle and started down the road, but Matthews said the district ranger arrived just then. "Otherwise, I hate to think what might have happened to Karen," Matthews said. Morimoto was studying for her master's degree and had teamed up with Houck on the mapping project. Orders also have been issued for such crews to remain together in pairs. "I worry about lions and bears all the time with our mappers, but you just don't think about this kind of evil," Matthews said. Sorry, pal, but thats a cop out. YOU don't think about this kind of evil, and thats why this unfortunate young lady is now dead. The single most dangerous animal on the planet walks on two legs. Get over it. Act accordingly. Stop sending little girls into danger because you haven't clue-one. I fully understand how scary it is outside the ivy'd halls but either shut these kids in or provide them the protection they need.
Hogtown Creek
"The Hogtown Creek Watershed is located in the northwest and southwest quadrants of Gainesville and is one of the largest watersheds in the area, encompassing approximately 20 square miles of urban and suburban Gainesville. The University of Florida and Gainesville High School are located within this basin. Hogtown Creek has numerous tributaries, with four of the largest being Possum Creek, Springstead Creek, Rattlesnake Branch, and Elizabeth Creek. These four tributaries all join the creek in the area between NW 39th Avenue and University Avenue. Relief is high in the watershed and in many areas the creek and tributaries are deeply incised. Phosphate pebbles and fossils, such as shark’s teeth, dugong rib bones, and shell molds and casts, are frequently found in the streambed."
Uhhuh. There really is a Hogtown. Was the name of Gainesville before being dropped in favor of honoring General Edmund Gaines, but Hogtown survives as the name of various creeks and woodlands. Moving out of Gainesville proper and into Micanopy and Paines Prairie...where the actual borders are no one really knows...deposits one in swamp then there's swamp and you might even find some swamp. Gator, smallish bear, largish pig, are the bigger wildlife that one can run across although I've never seen any bear but they tell me I just haven't been looking hard enough. There's even a local bigfoot, referred to as the Skunk Ape and generally seen in the Everglades but the Slaughter brothers tell me that Hogtown has one or two of them as well, and that they stand near on 8' tall and are covered with bright red hair.
I wouldn't be surprised. If Rosie O'Donnell can exist then anything can. One of these days I'll take the camera out with me and pass along some local flavor. Might even snap one of the Slaughter brothers if I can get 'em to stand still long enough.
NRA News
U.S. SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES SHELBY AMENDMENT PROTECTING TRACE DATA SECURITY
"NRA-ILA welcomed the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's action yesterday to reinstate language commonly known as the Tiahrt Amendment into the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill. The amendment, offered by Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), passed with broad bipartisan support. This language would keep sensitive firearm trace information in the hands of law enforcement and out of the hands of politicians and special interest groups to use to further their anti-gun crusades. The committee also rejected a Lautenberg-Feinstein Amendment that would have gutted the Shelby Amendment."
The Bloomberg-types have been trying to obtain access to firearm trace information, lying, cheating, and stealing when necessary to further the agenda of total disarmament. Can't shear a sheep who is able to shear back, and liberals detest ANYONE not wealthy enough to hire men of rough demeanor to carry for them. We're the fighter in the woodpile, the free citizen who won't run scared.
All Things BMG
If I had access to a long range, well, range, this would be my crowning glory with regards to firearms. Double-Tap just added a brandy new 50 BMG cartridge to its product line, and I'm salivating once again for big bore boomery.
Oh yeah, the Fat MAC? 750 grains @ 3400 fps.
As If We Needed Yet Another Fat Pig Snorting In Our Ears...
"IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT, THEY ARE TRAITORS TO AMERICA, AND SO ARE ALL OF THEIR SUPPORTERS. IMPEACH! ANYONE IN CONGRESS WHO REFUSES TO SAVE OUR UNION FROM THESE TRAITORS BY DOING NOTHING NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. SAVE OUR TROOPS!!! SAVE OUR SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND JOBS. FEED OUR HUNGRY AND POOR! SAVE THE DROWNING PEOPLE IN NEW ORLEANS! ANYONE WHO MENTIONS PARIS HILTON ONE MORE TIME MUST DIE!"
Roseanne Barr from her website. Good to see she tossed her two-cents in. Enough of these rabid lunatics start making noise and come '08 they'll have led enough people to understand just how deranged the loony left truly is.
Roseanne Barr from her website. Good to see she tossed her two-cents in. Enough of these rabid lunatics start making noise and come '08 they'll have led enough people to understand just how deranged the loony left truly is.
Breaking News: Towelhead Tries To Ram Airport Terminal
GLASGOW, Scotland — "A motorist tried to ram an SUV in flames into the main terminal building of Glasgow airport Saturday, witnesses said, according to news reports.
Witnesses described an SUV driving at full speed toward the terminal building with flames pouring out from the car, the British Broadcasting Corp. said.
The car was stopped by security barriers, and police tackled a man who fled from the car, witness James Edgar told SKY News television. TV footage showed flames and huge plumes of black smoke rising from the building.
"The jeep is completely on fire and it exploded not long after. It exploded at the entrance to the terminal," witness Stephen Clarkson told the BBC. "It may have been an explosion of petrol in the tank because it was not a massive explosion."
The airport was evacuated and all flights suspended.
Police, however, said they could not confirm the reports. Strathclyde Police spokeswoman Lisa O'Neil said at least one car was on fire outside the airport.
Earlier, she said two cars had crashed outside the airport around 3:15 p.m., with one of them bursting into flames, but later said it was unclear if two cars were involved."
The presumption is that a member of the religion of fece.. strike that...peace, had himself enough of a hissy fit to go out and try to kill hundreds of people. Wouldn't be just too cool to borrow Mr. Peabody's Wayback machine and off dirty old Mo before enough lunatics started listening to his deranged rantings...
The Only Ones Magnetically Resonant Enough
"An off-duty police officer went to an outpatient imaging center (not affiliated with our institution) in western New York State to have an MR imaging examination. The facility housed a 1.5-T MR unit (Signa; General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI) with active shielding. The officer was carrying a model 1991 A-1 compact.45 caliber semiautomatic pistol (Colt's Manufacturing, Hartford, CT).
Uh huh. Go read the whole thing and try not to laugh at their conclusions.
And a note to technologists: Never believe you've successfully communicated something to an officer. Most folks learn this early on, but a word to the wise might prevent future mishaps.
A note to officers: Never take a weapon into...oh never mind. Everyone knows about MRI's so whats the point.
The officer notified the technologist that he was carrying the weapon before entering the MR dressing room. The technologist told the officer to take the gun with him. The technologist intended to meet the officer in the MR patient waiting area before the examination and secure the weapon in that room, where he felt it would be safe. However, the officer apparently misunderstood and took the gun into the MR suite. The technologist was entering the officer's personal data into the computer and did not see him entering the MR suite.
Once the officer was inside the MR suite, the gun was pulled from his hand as he attempted to place the gun on top of a cabinet 3 ft (0.9 m) away from the magnet bore. The gun was immediately pulled into the bore, where it struck the left side and spontaneously discharged a round into the wall of the room at the rear of the magnet. Fortunately, no one was injured. Although the gun struck the magnet bore, only minimal cosmetic damage occurred to the magnet itself. The MR unit had full functional capability immediately after the gun discharged. The weapon's thumb safety was reportedly engaged when the gun discharged..."Uh huh. Go read the whole thing and try not to laugh at their conclusions.
And a note to technologists: Never believe you've successfully communicated something to an officer. Most folks learn this early on, but a word to the wise might prevent future mishaps.
A note to officers: Never take a weapon into...oh never mind. Everyone knows about MRI's so whats the point.
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Debate Rages On: Prions key in Alzheimer's disease
 Whether this function is lost as a result of the normal ageing process, or if some people are more susceptible to it than others we don't know yet  Professor Nigel Hooper |
Professor Fits
Ron Paul Leads The Fight Against...
Student: So I just wanted to say, you know, we’ve talked to Dennis Kucinich and he says that he’s willing to, you know, investigate it. He would advocate for a new investigation.
Paul: Into 9/11?
Student: Yeah, into 9/11. I mean, if it was Dennis Kucinich and you, there’d be congressional support. You know what I mean? So you wouldn’t be the only one.
Paul: It’d be bipartisan, too. And I’ve worked with Dennis a lot on a lot of these issues.
Student: So I mean, would you advocate for a new investigation into 9/11?
Paul: Yes, I think we have to look at the details of it.
Yep. Ronny thinks we ought to have a closer look at 9/11 just in case those wacky Federal-Government types really DID mastermind the whole thing.
Cue Twilight Zone music and Fade Out...
Do As I Say, Not As I Do
BELLEVUE, Wash., June 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Several members of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-gun Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition are annoyed by freedom of information requests about their activities from a California law firm, yet these same mayors have no problem demanding complete access to sensitive gun trace data.
The Second Amendment Foundation today said the mayors are practicing a double standard and are guilty of "world class hypocrisy." SAF founder Alan Gottlieb pointed to a remark from Joseph Arellano in San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, who contended that the information being sought by the law firm of Trutanich Michel "is privileged."
"That information couldn't be anywhere near as privileged as the gun trace data kept by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that these anti-gun mayors want to get their hands on," Gottlieb stated. "Mayors Against Illegal Guns has been pushing for repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment this week just so they can access that data and use it to further their anti-gun lawsuit agenda.
"This has nothing to do with crime prevention, and they know it," he continued. "They have been saying the trace data is not available to law enforcement, and that's a lie. Gun trace data is available for legitimate on- going criminal investigations. It's just not available for politically- motivated legal fishing expeditions."
Gottlieb said Trutanich Michel has every right to the information it is seeking, because no criminal investigations would be jeopardized if they get it. That is not the case with the mayors wanting access to gun trace data, where criminal investigations could easily be compromised.
"It is arrogant beyond words for these mayors to demand access to gun trace data, and then turn around and declare that information about their coalition's activities is privileged," he remarked. "The mayors claim they are working in the public interest. We think the public interest would be better served by learning about the activities of this mayors' group -- how it is financed, and whether it has misused public resources, for example.
"Bloomberg and his cronies already have a credibility problem," Gottlieb concluded. "They shouldn't compound things by trying to conceal their activities from public scrutiny."
Bloomy and his friends are elitist swineherds who consider themselves above the law because THEY KNOW BETTER. They aren't the "little people". Like all liberals the world over, they are absolutely, positively, certain that mankind could not exist without them. Liars, drunkards, and traitors, all. Betcha they're wife-beaters, too. Panty-sniffers as well. Guys who fall in love with their shoes.
The Only Ones Expired Enough
ANDERSON - Anderson County Sheriff David Crenshaw has been driving for 14 months on an expired driver’s license. And he said he flunked the driving test the first time he tried to get his license back.
Crenshaw calls it a mistake — he thought he had a 10-year license instead of a five-year license. “Apparently, they quit sending out renewal notices. I just wasn’t aware that it had expired,” he said.
It had been so long since Crenshaw had a valid license that he had to take the driving test to get it back. He flunked on his first try.
Crenshaw said he was never pulled over while his license was expired and never had a reason to check it.
“I’m human, just like everyone else,” he said. “It happens to lots of people.”
NFL Europa folds after 16 years
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The NFL folded its development league in Europe after 16 years Friday, calling the decision a sound business move that will allow for a stronger international focus on regular-season games outside the United States.
The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl championship in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125. Five of the league's six teams are in Germany, with the other in Amsterdam, Netherlands.A statement on the German-language edition of the NFL's Web site said the NFL decided to concentrate its "strategies and resources" on regular-season games outside the United States in an effort to reach as many people as possible.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell thanked the fans for their support but said it was time to develop a new international strategy, terming the move to fold NFL Europa the "best business decision." The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season.
"From now on we will focus on regular-season games and use new technologies to make NFL more popular worldwide," he said, adding that since anabolic steroids are far more difficult to obtain in Europe, the players are smaller, slower, and no where near as aggressive as their American counterparts.
"We just need better performance enhancing drugs and hopefully some new technologies will pan out and we'll be back making money in Europe as soon as possible.
Besides; isn't Europa a moon of Jupiter?"
Chinese officials might block Yi to Bucks
The Bucks might never get Yi Jianlian to play for them. Chinese officials, and Yi himself, preferred to have him in a city with a large Asian population. Now they might not let him go at all. US officials countered by releasing documentation suggesting that Yi might be contaminated with the same deadly poison that killed thousands of pets in America, as Yi's drug test returned suspiciously elevated levels of diethylene glycol.
"I mean, we gotta be careful with these Chinese imports," an anonymous health official said, "everything coming from China is poisonous these days so maybe they should just take him home like they want to because if NBA mascots start dropping like flies somebody's going to be in big trouble..." Full story...
"I mean, we gotta be careful with these Chinese imports," an anonymous health official said, "everything coming from China is poisonous these days so maybe they should just take him home like they want to because if NBA mascots start dropping like flies somebody's going to be in big trouble..." Full story...
Dateline Baghdad
BAGHDAD — "Insurgents launched a deadly coordinated attack on an American combat patrol, detonating a roadside bomb, then firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the soldiers, the U.S. military said Friday. Five troops were killed.
Seven soldiers were wounded in the attack on Thursday in southern Baghdad and were evacuated to a military hospital; one has since returned to duty, the military said.
"It was a very violent attack and we thought it did show a level of sophistication that we have not often seen so far in this campaign," Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Division Baghdad and First Cavalry Division, said Friday."
Sophistication? Like when Moe would point to something then Curly's head would turn then Moe would poke him in the eye? I rarely comment upon wins and loses in the sandbox, but calling basic soldiering sophisticated, troubles me. It isn't as if these mutts are calling in air strikes before turning to artillery, then sending in heavy armor.
A Pickle In Piccadilly
LONDON — "Police thwarted a car bomb attack Friday in London's bustling nightclub and theater district, defusing a crude explosive device made of gasoline, propane gas and nails after an ambulance crew spotted smoke coming from a green Mercedes outside a nightclub. Hours later, police confirmed that a second car bomb was found in the center of the city.
The first car bomb, found near Piccadilly Circus, was powerful enough to have caused "significant injury or loss of life" at a time when hundreds were in the area, British anti-terror police chief Peter Clarke said..."
Stop the music, stop the music...
Now, I understand that moslem terrorists are intrinsically dumbass, but if they've proven one thing its the fact that goat-molesting sand fleas can blow the ever loving shit out of a car.
Rigging two high-end automobiles and having them go fizzle just doesn't sound right. Couple that with the Brit inability to catch dangerous criminals...last time I checked Jack the Ripper still hadn't been identified...and it almost appears as if these "bombs" were MEANT to be found.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Since The War On Guns Remains Hiatus'ized...
We're The Only Ones Wounding Our Colleagues Enough...
The incident occurred about 4 p.m. Monday at the Edward M. Davis Training Facility in Granada Hills as the two instructors, who train new recruits, were transitioning from teaching a class with live firearms to an exercise using mock handguns that look and sound like real weapons but do not discharge bullets.
Parts of the non-firing weapons are marked with orange paint, but the instructor failed to notice he had picked up the wrong handgun, police said.
The bullet struck Officer Peter Lee, 42, a 15-year veteran. The gun was fired accidentally by Hector Villanueva, 35.
"Unfortunately what occurred violated protocols," said Capt. Bill Murphy, head of the Los Angeles Police Department's Training Division. "When an officer picks up the [non-firing] weapons they are supposed to secure their live firearms. But one officer here didn't secure his live firearm and confused it. When he went to test the [mock] weapon he instead fired his real Glock and hit his fellow instructor."
"This is a bad thing," Murphy said, "but it could have been a lot worse."
Sources involved in the investigation said there was no animus between the officers and it seemed to be, as one person said, a "boneheaded" mistake.
LAPD Sgt. Lee Sands said Lee was listed in stable condition at a hospital. Murphy said the injured officer was expected to return to duty.
What disciplinary action Villanueva will face depends on the outcome of an internal investigation.
"The biggest punishment here is the knowledge he shot his fellow instructor," Murphy said.
"This is the first negligent discharge we've had since we opened the training facility eight or nine years ago," Murphy said. "But annually, nationwide, three officers are killed in training."
Kudos for using negligent, but so what 3 officers are killed in training each year? That means only wounding one is mmkay? And please now, phony gun or fake gun, why was he aiming at another mans leg. I could go on and on but his biggest punishment seems to be the fact that he shot a fellow instructor and not awaiting strangulation by yours truly.
LAPD instructor shoots colleague during training exercise
Los Angeles police are investigating how a veteran department firearms instructor shot and wounded another officer in the left hamstring at a training facility this week when he mistook a loaded handgun for a mock version of the weapon.The incident occurred about 4 p.m. Monday at the Edward M. Davis Training Facility in Granada Hills as the two instructors, who train new recruits, were transitioning from teaching a class with live firearms to an exercise using mock handguns that look and sound like real weapons but do not discharge bullets.
Parts of the non-firing weapons are marked with orange paint, but the instructor failed to notice he had picked up the wrong handgun, police said.
The bullet struck Officer Peter Lee, 42, a 15-year veteran. The gun was fired accidentally by Hector Villanueva, 35.
"Unfortunately what occurred violated protocols," said Capt. Bill Murphy, head of the Los Angeles Police Department's Training Division. "When an officer picks up the [non-firing] weapons they are supposed to secure their live firearms. But one officer here didn't secure his live firearm and confused it. When he went to test the [mock] weapon he instead fired his real Glock and hit his fellow instructor."
"This is a bad thing," Murphy said, "but it could have been a lot worse."
Sources involved in the investigation said there was no animus between the officers and it seemed to be, as one person said, a "boneheaded" mistake.
LAPD Sgt. Lee Sands said Lee was listed in stable condition at a hospital. Murphy said the injured officer was expected to return to duty.
What disciplinary action Villanueva will face depends on the outcome of an internal investigation.
"The biggest punishment here is the knowledge he shot his fellow instructor," Murphy said.
"This is the first negligent discharge we've had since we opened the training facility eight or nine years ago," Murphy said. "But annually, nationwide, three officers are killed in training."
Kudos for using negligent, but so what 3 officers are killed in training each year? That means only wounding one is mmkay? And please now, phony gun or fake gun, why was he aiming at another mans leg. I could go on and on but his biggest punishment seems to be the fact that he shot a fellow instructor and not awaiting strangulation by yours truly.
Less Than Lethal
Once upon a time I was a prison guard. In a military prison. Villains, thieves and scoundrels to beat the band. One of the assignments I cared little for, was shower-duty. Several of us would tromp on over to Dog Tier and inform the inmates that it was time for a washdown. Now, these were not pleasant men. The usual suspects would spit forth a stream of impressive profanity, then we'd get to work. The cell would be unlocked, we'd wade in with clubs, beat the offending SOB senseless, then drag him to the showers.
All was well until we welcomed a new full bird Colonel as head honcho. He was aghast. We were sooooooooooo brutal. We didn't understand that this was 1973 and not 1473 but by gum he was going to teach us how to. Away went the brick-a-bats, and in came the less-than-lethals. Stun guns. Pepper sprays. Stuff like that. Now, the duty was considered so rough one had to be a former combat Marine to be assigned there, and I'll admit that some of us were, how shall I say, at times a little rambunctious when it came to enforcing the rules.
But what we did do happened to work, and then we had to change over to spraying and zapping when beating and battering was getting the job done. They'd spit at us, attack with homemade weapons, kick, punch, bite, and do whatever they could to inflict as much harm as possible. We'd return the favor, with interest.
Well, the most powerful of pepper-sprays did little to quiet down the hardest of the hard cases, and in fact it made some of them even more difficult to handle. The shock-wands were a little better, but the effects didn't last all that long and nothing is quite as embarrassing as a madman shaking off a good jolt then turning on you like Hannibal Lecter's badder brother. A lot of us started getting hurt, nothing major, but bumps, bruises, a missing tooth here and there, some stitches to tidy things up, stuff like that. Even the ones who didn't usually put up all that much of a fight saw their chance to get a piece of a guard they particularly detested and went down swinging. Pepper spray? Hell, they were going to the showers anyway, and we'd taken to bringing along Corpsmen with their pepper-antidote stuff so they'd surrender, fight, surrender, fight, and on and on it went.
And please now. A shock wand in a puddle of water isn't the smartest thing to be waving around and I never saw a one of them that could put a big man down for the count. Fellow by the name of Fortman was my particular nemesis. 6-7, 300+ lbs of the daily weightlifting variety and he'd break through a sprawl of bodies, see me, and then the fur would fly. Pieces of the two of us splattering around the halls were bad enough but Fort would laugh through a stream of the worst stuff we had and shake and giggle when the shock rods came out. The man cracked more than one of my ribs and if he's still alive I hope he still has that scar where the left side of his nose used to be.
Point was, we were outnumbered to begin with and started taking one beating after another once we left the shotguns behind along with our sap gloves and weighted batons.
So anyway, down to the heart of the matter.
Is pepper spray an effective form of self defense. Sure. If the wind is blowing the right way and you can run like a sumbitch after squeezing off some capsicum. Same with stun guns, although they come in some heavy-duty proportions. Nothing is better than a trained man with a firearm but when all you've got is condiment and zappery, hell, it's better than nothing.
All was well until we welcomed a new full bird Colonel as head honcho. He was aghast. We were sooooooooooo brutal. We didn't understand that this was 1973 and not 1473 but by gum he was going to teach us how to. Away went the brick-a-bats, and in came the less-than-lethals. Stun guns. Pepper sprays. Stuff like that. Now, the duty was considered so rough one had to be a former combat Marine to be assigned there, and I'll admit that some of us were, how shall I say, at times a little rambunctious when it came to enforcing the rules.
But what we did do happened to work, and then we had to change over to spraying and zapping when beating and battering was getting the job done. They'd spit at us, attack with homemade weapons, kick, punch, bite, and do whatever they could to inflict as much harm as possible. We'd return the favor, with interest.
Well, the most powerful of pepper-sprays did little to quiet down the hardest of the hard cases, and in fact it made some of them even more difficult to handle. The shock-wands were a little better, but the effects didn't last all that long and nothing is quite as embarrassing as a madman shaking off a good jolt then turning on you like Hannibal Lecter's badder brother. A lot of us started getting hurt, nothing major, but bumps, bruises, a missing tooth here and there, some stitches to tidy things up, stuff like that. Even the ones who didn't usually put up all that much of a fight saw their chance to get a piece of a guard they particularly detested and went down swinging. Pepper spray? Hell, they were going to the showers anyway, and we'd taken to bringing along Corpsmen with their pepper-antidote stuff so they'd surrender, fight, surrender, fight, and on and on it went.
And please now. A shock wand in a puddle of water isn't the smartest thing to be waving around and I never saw a one of them that could put a big man down for the count. Fellow by the name of Fortman was my particular nemesis. 6-7, 300+ lbs of the daily weightlifting variety and he'd break through a sprawl of bodies, see me, and then the fur would fly. Pieces of the two of us splattering around the halls were bad enough but Fort would laugh through a stream of the worst stuff we had and shake and giggle when the shock rods came out. The man cracked more than one of my ribs and if he's still alive I hope he still has that scar where the left side of his nose used to be.
Point was, we were outnumbered to begin with and started taking one beating after another once we left the shotguns behind along with our sap gloves and weighted batons.
So anyway, down to the heart of the matter.
Is pepper spray an effective form of self defense. Sure. If the wind is blowing the right way and you can run like a sumbitch after squeezing off some capsicum. Same with stun guns, although they come in some heavy-duty proportions. Nothing is better than a trained man with a firearm but when all you've got is condiment and zappery, hell, it's better than nothing.
The Big Ammo Rip Off Continues
"Saw what Cabelas pays for their 7.62x39 Wolf Ammo."
$40 for 500 rounds is their cost. The cost on the shelf again is $109 for a markup of $69 bucks, or 172%.
We've been saying for quite some time that ammunition raw material prices have been dropping, and more than one person has sent information akin to the above to my attention.
Cabela's once sold 1000 rounds of 7.62X39 Wolf for $74. Back then they were paying approximately $50 (from manifests that were seen such as in this instance) and were glad to make $24 in profit.
But as soon as we became accustomed to higher prices, they began gouging. Cabela's now pays $80 for 1000 rounds and charges $218.
It's their business. It's what the market will bear. Obviously. What fries my clams is the lying. The "woe is us! Ammo pricing is SKYROCKETING!!"
No, it is not. Make your money, but don't take me for a fool. The eloi among us think this is just hunky dory. That's why they're eloi.
In my adult life I have never bitched about paying fair market value for anything. I shoot over 500 rounds of various munitions a week and will continue to do so. It is my hobby, it is fun, and through it I maintain the proficiency necessary to protect my family. This is not the ravings of a cheapass. Tell me what you want for what I want but without the bullshit.
If that's asking too much then it's obvious I'm not dealing with men.
$40 for 500 rounds is their cost. The cost on the shelf again is $109 for a markup of $69 bucks, or 172%.
We've been saying for quite some time that ammunition raw material prices have been dropping, and more than one person has sent information akin to the above to my attention.
Cabela's once sold 1000 rounds of 7.62X39 Wolf for $74. Back then they were paying approximately $50 (from manifests that were seen such as in this instance) and were glad to make $24 in profit.
But as soon as we became accustomed to higher prices, they began gouging. Cabela's now pays $80 for 1000 rounds and charges $218.
It's their business. It's what the market will bear. Obviously. What fries my clams is the lying. The "woe is us! Ammo pricing is SKYROCKETING!!"
No, it is not. Make your money, but don't take me for a fool. The eloi among us think this is just hunky dory. That's why they're eloi.
In my adult life I have never bitched about paying fair market value for anything. I shoot over 500 rounds of various munitions a week and will continue to do so. It is my hobby, it is fun, and through it I maintain the proficiency necessary to protect my family. This is not the ravings of a cheapass. Tell me what you want for what I want but without the bullshit.
If that's asking too much then it's obvious I'm not dealing with men.
Retired Marine, 71, shoots robbers, kills 1
"The 71-year-old retired Marine who opened fire on two robbers at a Plantation sub shop late Wednesday, killing one and critically wounding the other, is described as a former pilot for two presidents.
''He's in great shape,'' Wesley White said of his longtime friend, John Lovell. ``He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he works out every day.''
Lovell was a man of action Wednesday night.
According to Plantation police, two masked gunmen came into the Subway at 1949 N. Pine Island Rd. just after 11 p.m.
There was a lone diner -- Lovell, who was finishing his meal.
After robbing the cashier, the two men attempted to shove Lovell into a bathroom and rob him as well.
They got his money.
But then Lovell pulled his handgun, opened fire, shooting one of the thieves in the head and chest and the other in the head.
When police arrived, they found one of the men in the shop. K-9 units found the other in the bushes of a nearby business.
They also found cash strewn around the front of the sandwich shop.
''There were fives and rolls of coins everywhere,'' said Detective Robert Rettig of the Plantation Police Department.
Both men were taken to Broward General Medical Center, where one, Donicio Arrindell, 22, of North Lauderdale died.
The other, 21-year-old Frederick Gadson of Fort Lauderdale, is in critical but stable condition.
Lovell's friend White was not surprised to hear what happened.
''He'd give you the shirt off his back and he'd be mad if someone tried to take the shirt off your back,'' he said."
Okay, so he was only a fly-boy but did a damned fine job. The interesting part of what's been happening lately is the fact that it's been driving the bleeding hearts absolutely, certifiably, nuts.
Years ago, and before concealed carry permits, this story night very well have presented as an old man gets mugged and the bad guys get away. Not any more.
Now people are fighting back. More bad guys than ever are getting plugged, and this has the Yellowstream Jurassic Press bellyaching about all of the latest "gun violence".
It's violent to defend yourself. Damned yes. They'd prefer us to be as eloi as they, and most of all don't want their pet lowlives harmed so the local rags have been caterwauling that guns are getting out of hand. Here's what they thought WOULD happen when more and more folks began packing heat:
The average person knows nothing about a real gun, so most of the time they'd have them taken from away by criminals. The crooks would then have more guns with which to use illegally, and the blame could then be placed squarely on the shoulders of Mr. or Mrs. Concealed Carry. They enlisted the aid of law enforcement to advise cut, run, and surrender whenever possible, then sat back to await the carnage.
That didn't quite work out the way they thought it would. There's carnage aplenty, but it is their dear, dear felons who are being carried off on a stretcher! But loons are flexible, so they've used successful cases of self-defense to try and illustrate the infamous blood running in the streets. I've seen more than one poll asking "Do You Think Concealed Carry Permits Are The Reason For More Gun Deaths, the quintessential, Are You Still Beating Your Wife loaded question if there ever was one.
More and more felons ARE dying, and instead of praising this as the good thing it truly is, the Accredited Dinosaurs are once again twisting the facts to suit their agenda. Guns=Deaths.
Well surprise, surprise, hoss, they sure do. Just not the way you thought they would.
Pygmy Hippo Born at Paris Zoo
PARIS — Aldo looks, eats and lazes like a hippopotamus — but he's only about as big as a human baby, at 21 inches.
The pygmy hippo, born this month at the Paris Zoo, is one of only a few dozen in Europe, bred in a special program to boost the rare species.
There are no more than 3,000 around the world, mostly concentrated in west African countries such as Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau or Liberia, said Juliane Villenain, a biologist at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, a park on Paris' eastern edge.
"Not that they are particularly attractive animals when full grown," Dr. Villenain said as he presented this photograph of an adult animal, "but all babies are beautiful and we should cherish Aldo for the pretty infant he is rather than think about the foul smelling, ugly beast he'll become."
Great News...Bald Eagle No Longer Endangered...
WASHINGTON — "The American bald eagle, once nearly extinct, is making a comeback, so much so that the revered bird was taken off the federal government's list of protected species Thursday.
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne made the announcement at a ceremony near the Jefferson Memorial, a day before the expiration of a court-directed deadline for his department to decide the eagle's status."
This is terrific news. They still cannot be hunted, but there will be far fewer calls of FOUL when a few of them go missing here and there. Not that I'd ever participate in a Bald Eagle Roast...no siree. No matter how tasty they are, it's still against the law. Cross between turkey and chicken. They tell me.
Cue Twilight Zone Music...And...ACTION...
Web Time Stamps Indicate Nancy Benoit's Death Reported on Web at Least 13 Hours Before Police Found Bodies in Her Home
"An anonymous user operating a computer traced to Stamford, Conn. — home to World Wrestling Entertainment — posted an entry to pro wrestler biography on Chris Benoit's biography on Wikipedia, announcing the death of his wife Nancy at least 13 hours before police in suburban Atlanta said they found her body along with her husband's and that of their 7-year-old son, FOXNews.com has learned.
Employees at Wikipedia.org said the posting went live on their site on Monday at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Police, however, said they found the bodies Monday at 2:30 p.m. EDT."
Sources have told Messenger that police do not suspect a conspiracy, nor any wrong doing, as anyone could have come up with the truth of what happened more than half a day before they did because they are always the last to know anyway so what's the big deal.
Illegal-Alien-Amnesty SQUASHED
BREAKING NEWS: Support for Bush-Kennedy-McCain Immigration Bill Collapses
An 18-Vote Swing Away From Washington Power, Toward the American People
All members of the Winning the Future movement and Americans everywhere who called or wrote their senators to express opposition to the disastrous immigration bill deserve thanks today.
In a soaring victory for the American people, just hours ago the Senate voted 46 to 53 to kill the bill -- a full 14 votes short of what the bill's supporters needed to stop a filibuster. This represents an historic 18-vote loss of support for the Bush-Kennedy-McCain bill from the vote held last Tuesday.
A Major Step Toward Defining What 2008 Will be About
What's telling about today's vote is that Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) both continued to vote for the Washington establishment and against the American people. Their support for the unworkable and impossible-to-implement Bush-Kennedy-McCain immigration bill marks a very distinct divide between their views and those of the major Republican presidential candidates. The vast majority of the "yes" votes today were Democrats and the vast majority of the "no" votes -- the winning votes -- were Republicans. This is a major step toward defining what 2008 will really be about.McCain-Feingold Suffers a Body Blow: What It Means for You
The second victory for the American people this week was the landmark Supreme Court decision significantly limiting the scope of political censorship under McCain-Feingold.
All Americans who are struggling for a voice in how we govern ourselves -- or are part of a group that seeks an active role in our democratic process -- want to know what this decision means.
Here's my take: It's far short of a complete victory. McCain-Feingold still exists and still restricts free political speech. But it is a significant victory, one that substantially limits the power of the government to stifle our speech. So if you're a citizen or a member of a group that wants to see real change in Washington, know this: This important ruling will enhance your ability to engage in grassroots activities before federal elections.
In other words, the fight for free political speech isn't over, but score one big battlefield victory for democracy and free speech.
The Criminalization of Political Speech
Here's what the decision actually did.
As you know, McCain-Feingold made it a crime for any incorporated group -- be it a for-profit business or a nonprofit group like Wisconsin Right to Life -- to use its general treasury funds to pay for "electioneering communications."
"Electioneering communications" is a fancy term for any broadcast communication that refers to a candidate for federal office and that is aired in the candidate's area within 30 days of a primary election or 60 days of a general election.
In 2004, Wisconsin Right to Life (WRTL) challenged the constitutionality of this prohibition. WRTL had planned to run ads shortly before the 2004 federal elections asking Wisconsin residents to call their two senators, Democrats Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, to urge them to oppose the filibustering of federal judicial nominees. Each ad included the following language: "Contact Senators Feingold and Kohl to tell them to oppose the filibuster." The ads also referred viewers to a website which listed the Senators' positions on the filibusters.
The Court 'Significantly Scaled Back' Limits on Political AdsBut Wisconsin Right to Life was prohibited from exercising this political speech by McCain-Feingold. So the group filed a lawsuit, arguing that, to the extent McCain-Feingold applied to these ads, McCain-Feingold unconstitutionally limited freedom of speech.
This week, a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Wisconsin Right to Life. And the result is that the court significantly scaled back the limits on these types of ads, stating that an ad is only prohibited by McCain Feingold "if the particular ad is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate."
In other words, even if a group intended for the ad to have an effect on a pending election, or if the ad does have such an effect, it is unconstitutional to preclude the ad unless the text of the ad expressly advocates the election or defeat of a federal candidate.
It's always darkest before the dawn, isn't it? Just a few days ago I was reasonably certain that the traitorous scumdogs in Washington would pass a Senate version of illegal-alien-amnesty, and today it was shot down by the few remaining patriots alive in that armpit of a berg.
To the ones who voted against the latest liberal free-ride for criminals, thank you. To the American citizens who pestered their elected representatives, thank you too.
And last but not least, thank you Supreme Court. Some believe the legacy of George W. Bush will be a barren one, but putting two Aces on the Court is something he can be damned proud of.
Click on over to Human Events where you can also read Ann Coulter's latest
Fashion Tip Of The Day
Today's find. Brown and teal silk dress. Wonderful tie-back offering that'll set you back a mere $250 or thereabouts. Breezy, comfy, and oh so flattering.
"A commuter bus struck and killed a young woman on the upper West Side last night in an accident eerily similar to one that claimed the life of an actor a year ago, police said. The unidentified victim, said to be in her late teens or early 20s, was taken to St. Luke's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was crossing Columbus Ave. when she was struck about 9:45 p.m. by an empty Academy Bus making a right turn from W.86th St. onto southbound Columbus, police said.
On Feb. 18, 2006, actor Richard Bright, 68, known for tough-guy roles in films such as the "The Godfather" series, was struck and killed by an Academy bus making a right turn at the same corner."
The corner is a killer. Next to being a construction worker or cab driver, the most dangerous job in NYC is crossing that street. This story shook me for 2 reasons. When I was 6, I saw a woman run over at that precise spot, and last year it was Dick. The turn is a bumpy one for the buses. The driver will negotiate it, usually heading back to the barn, making the turn at a speed just above idle, swinging the front while looking in 4 or 5 directions at once as he feels the press of humanity all around him, then wait to be told if he ran anyone over. Such was the case when Dick was crushed. Everyone knew Dick. An actor who never came close to letting notoriety go to his head.
Bad corner.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Letters To The Editor...
"I must take issue with several of the points made in the letter submitted by Jerry Arnold Jr. ("Crime victims ought to defend selves with guns," June 18). Although I currently live in Charlotte, N.C., I am a Jackson native and agree that Jackson has a serious problem with crime. However, urging residents to "arm and defend yourself and shoot the criminals" will only make the criminals more willing to shoot and possibly kill their victims in order to "defend" themselves while perpetuating their crimes."
Alex Slawson
Charlotte, N.C.
Look at it this way, Alex. If criminals are more likely to shoot to kill of they know their prey will be armed, then where are the reports of police stations being robbed...AND...why isn't there veritable mayhem at gun shows?
Psst...know why?
Because CRIMINALS are cowardly scumbags, you abject dolt. Who are LESS LIKELY to attack someone capable of causing them harm. They prey upon the weak. Lord in heaven but where do they breed such morons...
Pastor Shoots Man During Attack
"A preacher shot an 18-year-old man at a church fireworks stand early Sunday morning. The Wagoner Church of Christ had a fireworks stand in Muskogee to raise money for the youth group. The youth pastor and a 17-year-old boy from the church were spending the night in the tent to make sure nothing would be stolen. The News On 6’s Emory Bryan reports the pastor says he would shoot again if confronted with the same situation.
At 3 a.m. Sunday morning, Youth Pastor John Donnelly had a decision to make.
"I pulled my weapon and did what I needed to do," he said.
Muskogee Police say the shooting appears to be a clear case of self defense, and they're still looking for some of the suspects.
"We have six in custody and three more who we are looking for at this time," said Muskogee Police Officer Brad Holt.
All of the suspects are 17 and under, other than the one who was shot.
The teenager assaulted in the tent is recovering too, he had a couple of teeth knocked loose in the fight."
Nine (9) of them. Knocked the teeth out of the kid helping the Pastor. This is why the good Lord invented machine guns.
Court OKs Searches at Football Games
Hogwash. Bullswaddle.
It is not consensual if you are required to agree in order to attend. Saying so is stretching both the law and common sense more than a tad too far...
Either consent or go elsewhere, is NOT unrestrained consent. Which is precisely what Mr. Johnston is upset about. It isn't...DUH...that he agreed to be searched in order to attend. He is DIS agreeing. It is the age old question of "your money or your life". Sure, you CAN take your business elsewhere, but NOT to see a professional football game. Either give up your right to a certain degree of privacy, or do not attend. This stretches the very fabric of common sense past bursting. But of course he HAS to agree in order to purchase the ducat. It is the demand that is in question. NO BLACKS ALLOWED. Okay, you're black but we'll let you in as long as you agree that it is by our pleasure you enter, and by the way sit where we tell you to or don't bother. After all, IT SAID SO ON THE TICKET so it MUST be right.
An unreasonable demand remains an unreasonable demand no matter what the fine print says.
It is not consensual if you are required to agree in order to attend. Saying so is stretching both the law and common sense more than a tad too far...
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- "A federal appeals court cleared the way for pat-down searches to resume at Tampa Bay Buccaneers home games, rejecting a fan's contention that they violate his constitutional protection against unreasonable searches.
High school teacher Gordon Johnston successfully challenged the frisking of fans entering Raymond James Stadium in three lower courts, but a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned those rulings Tuesday - saying Johnston forfeited his right to challenge the constitutionality of the pat-downs when he consented to them.
The NFL lauded the ruling.
"Pat-downs are an important part of our comprehensive security procedures, including secure facility perimeters and bag searches," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. "These limited, consensual security screenings are designed to enhance the protection and safety of our fans."Either consent or go elsewhere, is NOT unrestrained consent. Which is precisely what Mr. Johnston is upset about. It isn't...DUH...that he agreed to be searched in order to attend. He is DIS agreeing. It is the age old question of "your money or your life". Sure, you CAN take your business elsewhere, but NOT to see a professional football game. Either give up your right to a certain degree of privacy, or do not attend. This stretches the very fabric of common sense past bursting. But of course he HAS to agree in order to purchase the ducat. It is the demand that is in question. NO BLACKS ALLOWED. Okay, you're black but we'll let you in as long as you agree that it is by our pleasure you enter, and by the way sit where we tell you to or don't bother. After all, IT SAID SO ON THE TICKET so it MUST be right.
An unreasonable demand remains an unreasonable demand no matter what the fine print says.
Are YOU A Militia Member?
United States Code Title 10 Section 13
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied
males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section
313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a
declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States
and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the
National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard
and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of
the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the
Naval Militia.
Seeing as how I am too old to be a militia member, it is a good thing then to be a Hogtown Irregular.
(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied
males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section
313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a
declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States
and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the
National Guard.
(b) The classes of the militia are -
(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard
and the Naval Militia; and
(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of
the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the
Naval Militia.
Seeing as how I am too old to be a militia member, it is a good thing then to be a Hogtown Irregular.
What Do They Take Us For...
Guns are not allowed on DC streets so the following story is obviously a work of poorly done fiction.
Deputy Mayor Robbed at Gunpoint
Deputy Mayor Robbed at Gunpoint
"The man in charge of fixing the District's ailing schools might be more focused this week on another troubled aspect of the city -- public safety -- after he was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight while walking home from the Metro.
Victor Reinoso, the deputy mayor for education, was walking in the 6800 block of Fifth Street NW at 7:25 p.m. Monday when he was held up by two men, police said. One man, wearing a pink shirt, pointed a black and silver handgun at Reinoso and demanded that he drop his briefcase, police said.
The second assailant picked up the briefcase and ordered, "Give me your cellphone," which Reinoso did, according to a police report. The men then told Reinoso to hand over his wallet, and he complied.
Reinoso, 38, was not hurt.
"He was pretty lucky," police Cmdr. Hilton Burton said, noting robberies can end in violence."
What Would George Washington Do...
"The Court are of opinion that John Herring, Moses Walton and Elias Brown are severally guilty of all the Charges exhibited against them, being breaches of Article 21st., section 13th. of the Articles of War. They are also of opinion that John Herrick is guilty of plundering Mr. John Hoag on the 5th. instant late at night of sundry Articles being a breach of the Article aforesaid.
The Court (upward of two thirds agreeing) do sentence John Herring [ sic] to suffer Death.
The Court (two thirds agreeing) do sentence Moses Walton to suffer death.
The Court (upward of two thirds agreeing) do sentence Elias Brown to suffer Death and John Herrick to receive one hundred lashes on his bare back well laid on.
His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves these sentences. Shocked at the frequent horrible Villainies of this nature committed by the troops of late, He is determined to make Examples which will deter the boldest and most harden'd offenders. Men who are called out by their Country to defend the Rights and Property of their fellow Citizens, who are abandoned enough to violate those Rights and plunder that Property deserve and shall receive no Mercy."
Sounds like they took a dim view of officers who's disarm and/or steal from the people, doesn't it.
What Would Alexander Hamilton Do...
“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no resource left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers, may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual state. In a single state, if the persons intrusted with supreme power become usurpers, the different parcels, subdivisions, or districts of which it consists, having no distinct government in each, can take no regular measures for defense. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms...”
There really is not a shadow of a doubt that were the Founders present to witness police officers disarming law abiding citizens, or elected officials refusing to pay heed to their constituents, there'd be hell to pay.
Hell as in executions followed by more executions. If your constabulary turns against you, if your elected leaders do the same, if you cannot find justice through officialdom then by all means it is your duty to "rush tumultuously to arms".
What makes it even worse is these traitorous scum continue to declare that they've sworn to defend the Constitution. An avowed enemy is one thing. Those still calling themselves Americans is quite another.
Messenger Miami-Based Survey:
For the past few weeks, Messenger operatives (2 cousins and an old Marine buddy) have been surveying residents of several Miami suburbs and have returned the following numbers:
Question: Is illegal immigration a big problem?
28% Responded: Yes, it is a big problem.
72% Responded: Eso no es un problema grande.
Question: Is illegal immigration a big problem?
28% Responded: Yes, it is a big problem.
72% Responded: Eso no es un problema grande.
OUR VAST IMMIGRATION BACKLOG
by Michelle Malkin
"Why can't anyone in Washington pinpoint what's wrong with this picture?
Over the last several years, I've noted the following immigration backlogs that continue to plague our homeland-security system:
* The backlog of 600,000-plus fugitive deportee cases.
* The backlog of an estimated 100,000 FBI background checks for legal immigrant applicants.
* The disappearance of 111,000 citizenship applications.
* The backlog of 4 million immigration applications of all kinds.
The Washington Post reported that those mounds of unprocessed paperwork continue to grow. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came here legally are waiting for FBI background checks that must be obtained before they can become naturalized. Since 2005, the paper recently showed, the "backlog of legal U.S. immigrants whose applications for naturalization and other benefits are stuck on hold awaiting FBI name checks has doubled to 329,160."
That's right. The FBI name-check backlog stands at nearly 330,000 cases.
After an embarrassing screw-up that I reported on in November 2002 involving a known Hezbollah terrorist who received naturalization approval, immigration officials resubmitted 2.7 million names of applicants to the FBI for additional scrutiny. The Post reports that "[m]ore than five years later, the FBI is only now emerging from that huge load, with about 5,800 names left to be rechecked."
Legally doesn't count when it comes to the liberal wet dream of championing criminals. The system is already bursting at the seams, but somehow, miraculously it seems, it will handle an additional 12 million folks...and then their families...with a 24 hour turnaround.
At Long Last...
Something honorable for LA County Sheriff's to do...
June 27, 2007 -- Paris Hilton scurried home to Mommy and Daddy yesterday after spending three weeks in a jailhouse medical unit receiving special treatment and living the life of a snack-ravaging college student.
Sources said the celebrity skank was a jailhouse pig during her time in the pokey - racking up a $145 commissary bill for assorted snacks and beauty aides.
The bill included packs of French vanilla coffee, orders of chicken noodle soup, toffee peanut treats, banana nut muffins, packs of chicken broth and a 1.75-ounce jar of Vaseline.
While other inmates had to pick up their own orders, Hilton had deputies act as her personal errand boys.
"I don't understand what the big deal is; she's a nobody," said an irate deputy at Century Regional Detention Center, happy to see Hilton check out.
"She's got sheriffs bringing her food. This was unbelievable."
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Setting The Record Straight...An Open Letter To More Than One Dunderhead
In Florida, Brandishing means to intentionally present a firearm in such a manner as to reasonably induce fear into the mind of another.
So, and you know who you are so stop emailing me and giving others bad advice, once and for all do not tell folks that "printing" is the same as brandishing. A gun is to be concealed. Concealed means making a reasonable effort to hide the fact that it is a gun and not a state of euphoria that has created the lump in your pocket. With brandishing comes intent. Intent means you did it on purpose. Printing means you've not sufficiently hid the fact that you are concealing SOMETHING. Will the oddball cop still bust chops for the wrong reason? Sure. So whats new? But it isn't the law.
Once more, with feeling:
Brandishing presumes a threat to intimidate.
Printing means you need more Cling-Free.
So, and you know who you are so stop emailing me and giving others bad advice, once and for all do not tell folks that "printing" is the same as brandishing. A gun is to be concealed. Concealed means making a reasonable effort to hide the fact that it is a gun and not a state of euphoria that has created the lump in your pocket. With brandishing comes intent. Intent means you did it on purpose. Printing means you've not sufficiently hid the fact that you are concealing SOMETHING. Will the oddball cop still bust chops for the wrong reason? Sure. So whats new? But it isn't the law.
Once more, with feeling:
Brandishing presumes a threat to intimidate.
Printing means you need more Cling-Free.
Cockle Warming Time
Subtitled: Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
Man said he killed two attackers in self-defense
WEST PALM BEACH — Norman Borden became the first defendant in Palm Beach County to beat murder charges under the state's Castle Doctrine law, which expands an individual's right to self-defense, when a jury acquitted him of all charges Monday in connection with a double slaying.
Friends and family of the two men he shot to death cried and covered their faces with their hands as the court clerk read the verdicts: Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty.
Borden, 44, also was teary-eyed as he whispered thanks to his attorney, Public Defender Carey Haughwout. "He's very relieved," Haughwout said later. "I think he always had faith they would do the right thing." At least 20 sheriff's deputies, including three undercover agents, ringed the courtroom when the jury returned with its verdict. A half-dozen deputies hovered near Borden, probably to protect him more than to prevent an escape. Borden received death threats, Haughwout said, and security throughout the trial was increased dramatically out of fears of street gang retribution against him or jurors. On Oct. 8, Borden fired 14 shots from his 9mm handgun at three men in a Jeep who he said shouted threats at him and tried to run him over as he walked his four dogs in the Westgate neighborhood near West Palm Beach at about 2:30 a.m. Killed were Christopher Araujo, 19, and Saul Trejo, 21. Juan Mendez, now 21, was wounded. Borden said he feared for his life and acted in self-defense. Borden had reason to believe the men in the car were violent, Haughwout told jurors. Araujo once told Borden that he carried two guns and had held a weapon to a woman's head, according to trial testimony. Trejo was a local leader of Sur 13, a violent street gang, according to authorities. A baseball bat and a makeshift weapon were found in the Jeep, but no guns. Neither Haughwout nor prosecutor Craig Williams thought the verdicts had implications for future defendants claiming self-defense under the Castle Doctrine law, which has been in effect less than two years. "This case kind of stands on its own," Williams said. "They were bringing a lot of violence to this defendant. I don't think the new law made any difference. The truth hurt me in this case." The law broadens a person's right to self-defense to include shooting in his own home or vehicle or in a public place. It states that a law-abiding citizen has "no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she believes it necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another." Last month, a Central Florida man was acquitted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of his live-in girlfriend in another Castle Doctrine case. The dead woman's friends allegedly threatened to kill him, and he fired as they broke into his mobile home, killing her. He said he didn't know his girlfriend was at the door when he fired. Borden was acquitted of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle by the jury of 11 women and one man. Another felony charge was dropped by the prosecution. Williams conceded that Borden acted in self-defense when he fired the first five shots. But when he moved from the front of the Jeep to the driver's side and fired nine more rounds, it became murder, he argued. "There was no threat" after the first five shots, Williams said in closing arguments. He said that, although the danger to Borden was real, he had time to reassess the situation after firing the initial shots because the Jeep had come to a stop after slamming into a fence post. "He knew what was going on," Williams told the jury. "He knew what he was doing." Borden told investigators that, even after he fired the initial shots, he saw movement inside the vehicle and still felt he was in danger. Haughwout urged jurors to view the incident through Borden's eyes. "The car is not the danger," she said in her closing argument. "It's the people in the car that are the danger. How do you reassess when you're in that spot with people that ... want to kill you? You do what you have to do to survive. There is no time for thought. There is no chance for reassessment." After two hours of deliberations, the jury returned its verdict agreeing with her. Araujo's fiancée, Anastasia Bocanegra, 20, wept as the verdicts were read and was incredulous afterward. "He got away with killing two people," she said. "The car was stopped. Norman was not in fear for his life. These were not bad guys. They were babies." Instead of spending life in prison if he had been convicted as charged, Borden gained his freedom at 8:13 p.m. after more than eight months in jail. Haughwout declined to say what Borden's plans are now, because of fears for his safety. Williams said he also worries about threats against Borden. "I pray nothing happens to him. Am I worried? Sure. Look what they did to his house." Two days after the shootings, Borden's house was set on fire, presumably in retaliation." You shoot until the threat has ended. Always decide to be judged by 12 as opposed to carried by 6. Especially in Florida :) Now just think of all the potential crimes erased because two of these punks are no longer around to commit bloody murder. Does my heart good to know that two scumdogs have stopped wasting our precious supply of oxygen and that there still exists a place where a man can defend himself even against minority "babies". Say wait a minute now... Do you get energy credits for something like this?
The Joy Of Teaching
Pay attention. Close attention. Do only as I do. No self expression going on here. You'll not think of moving an inch or scratching a pinch YOUR way. All you have to do is what I do. If you see me sneeze then reach for a handkerchief, you sneeze then reach for a handkerchief. It. Is. That-Simple. You'll face the target. The concept of behind you no longer exists. There is no left there is no right. You are Christopher fucking Reeves after he decided to break a fall with his forehead. All there is, in your entire universe, is the target in front of you, the sound of my voice, and gunshots. Everything else is mere gibberish spoken by non-existent ghosts and we don't believe in ghosts. If I even think you're the type who sees the invisible its back to the damned car for the lot of you. You point that gun at me and I will break your arm. There is no such thing as an unloaded gun so I will presume you've decided to kill me and take it from there. At the sound of "Fire in the hole" you will pick up your weapon, chamber a round, then shoot the target. When there is no more ammunition to shoot you will then place the gun down upon the table in front of you and raise both hands, palms facing forward, stopping when your thumbs are as high as your ears. When you see my hand reaching for your unloaded gun you will then remove your hearing protection to better appreciate the laughter as I examine your target. If you've done everything exactly as so instructed, you may then reload your firearm and begin again. There are no questions during shooting. You do not shoot and think, nor shoot and ask questions, at the same time. Questions are for after the shooting has stopped because we both know you cannot shoot with anything else on your mind because I've just told you so.
The ones who are not shooting will stand there, quietly, with the other Brownies and await their turn. Okay, okay; we'll get ice cream later but the same rules apply.
The ones who are not shooting will stand there, quietly, with the other Brownies and await their turn. Okay, okay; we'll get ice cream later but the same rules apply.
Messengers Bad Science In The News...
ASPEN, Colo. — "Mars will be transformed into a shirt-sleeve, habitable world for humanity before century's end, made livable by thawing out the coldish climes of the Red Planet and altering its now carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere.
How best to carry out a fast-paced, decade-by-decade planetary facelift of Mars — a technique called terraforming — has been outlined by Lowell Wood, a noted physicist and recent retiree of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a long-time visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution.
• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Space Center.
Lowell presented his eye-opening Mars manifesto at Flight School, held here June 20-22 at the Aspen Institute, laying out a scientific plan to "experiment on a planet we're not living on."
Humans: a terraforming species
"I suggest that the near-term outlook is that Mars will be terraformed," Wood said, adding that he thinks the effort will be seriously underway by the middle of this century and essentially complete by the end of the 21st century..."
The man is on drugs. Using the absolute best technology we could muster, then toss in some fudge-factoring for hi-tech we do not yet have but someday might, terraforming Mars would take at least 1000 years and that's the quick way. Diverting asteroids to pummel the Martian crust, releasing CO2 from melting icecaps as well as from underground icefields. Trillions of cubic tons of earthworms, of algae and mosses, seeding the planet after decades of hundreds upon hundreds of fusion-powered plants dumping oxygen and nitrogen into the atmosphere because the Martian air needs to get 10 times more dense just to keep an earthworm alive. 1000 years with quantum leaps of technology. 7000-8000 years with what we have now.
I do so despise men of science who sell out in the hope of generating interest in what might some day be possible but never, ever, as easy as all that.
Just don't buy any cheap Martian real estate from this man. Long term investments are terrific but please now.
Researchers: Neanderthal DNA Sequence Can Be Rebuilt
WASHINGTON — Researchers studying Neanderthal DNA say it should be possible to construct a complete genome of the ancient hominid despite the degradation of the DNA over time.
There is also hope for reconstructing the genome of the mammoth and cave bear, according to a research team led by Svante Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
Their findings are published in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Debate has raged for years about whether there is any relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans. Some researchers believe that Neanderthals were simply replaced by early modern humans, while others argue the two groups may have interbred. Sequencing the genome of Neanderthals, who lived in Europe until about 30,000 years ago, could shed some light on that question, and Professor Paabo included this artist's rendering of what a Neanderthal would closely resemble should science reach the point of actually cloning them back into existence. "As you can plainly see, they were brutish, yes, oh yes," the Professor went on to say, "And quite ugly by our modern standards but it is my belief that with the proper care and education they could very well become valued members of our society, particularly in the area of stand up comedy..."
More Wonderful Products From China
Recall Urged of Chinese Tires That Could Fall Apart on Road
NEWARK, N.J. — Federal safety officials have ordered a New Jersey tire importer to recall as many as 450,000 tires that it bought from a Chinese manufacturer and sold to U.S. distributors.
Foreign Tire Sales Inc., of Union, said an unknown number of the light truck radials it imported since 2002 from Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co., of Hangzhou, China, could suffer tread separation — meaning the tires could fall apart on the road — a problem that led to the nation's largest tire recall in 2000.
FTS said an unknown number of the tires it sold were made without a safety feature, called a gum strip, which helps bind the belts of a tire to each other, the company said in a filing to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some of the tires had a gum strip about half the 0.6 millimeter width that FTS expected, it said.
Heather Hopkins, a spokeswoman for NHTSA, said its enforcement officials spoke to FTS on Monday to "let them know we want a full tire recall to take place."
"It is FTS' responsibility to do this," Hopkins said."
Not content with poisoning our pets, those knuckleheads formerly known as the Yellow Peril have now taken to precipitating the possibility of catastrophic automobile accidents. In a way this pleases me, as the last time I had reason to check out Chinese "Hi-Tech" weapons of war I didn't stop laughing for quite a while, and it's good to see they still can't make squat without screwing the pooch.
Gator Chomps Golfer
VENICE, Fla. — "A Tennessee man survived an attack by an alligator while retrieving a golf ball at a Florida golf course Monday.
Bruce Burger, of Lenore City, Tenn., reached into a pond at the sixth hole of Lake Venice Golf Club Monday afternoon when the alligator apparently grabbed his right forearm Course Manager Rod Parry told FOXNews.com.
“He didn’t see the gator,” Parry said. “Obviously, the gator reacted to what he probably thought was some kind of food.”
The alligator latched onto Burger's right forearm and pulled him in the pond, said Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He used his left arm to beat on the reptile until it freed him.
Parry said the man reportedly called for help and a lady came, got in his golf cart and took him to the clubhouse.
Burger had puncture wounds on his right forearm as well as a strained groin from the attack. Parry said when medical personnel arrived, Burger was placed on a gurney and transported to a local hospital. "We hope he’s doing pretty well,” he told FOXNews.com. Morse said the gator measured 10 feet, 11 inches. Parry said it took officers around an hour and 20 minutes to bait the gator before taking him away. He was unsure if the gator was one-eyed, but did say he was told it was blind in one eye. Parry said course employees recalled another time when a golfer had been attacked on the course. The golfer’s shoe was punctured when an alligator bit his foot while retrieving a ball at the same pond where Burger was bitten. The pond at the sixth hole has a "Beware of Alligator" sign posted because the staff is aware that a large alligator likes to hang out there. "Unfortunately, that's part of Florida," Parry said. "There's wildlife in these ponds." Since the reptile only injured a golfer I'm not all that upset. Nature has a way of evening things out. But not allowing the caddies to be armed with a 12 gauge is ludicrous. Wildlife my ass. When dangerous animals aren't shot dead on the spot something is rotten in Denmark.
The Vast Right-Wing Radio Imbalance
by Rich Lowry
"The report of the Center for American Progress on "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio" marks the latest phase in liberaldom's grappling with conservative talk radio. First came the attempts to create a liberal Limbaugh - Mario Cuomo, Jim Hightower, et al. - that fell flat. Then an entire left-wing network, Air America, was founded, and foundered. So there's only one option left - if you can't beat them, and you won't join them, you can agitate for government to regulate them.
The report looks at a slice of 257 talk stations and concludes that more than 90 percent of total weekday talk programming is conservative. The supposed reason for this is, essentially, that media companies are conspiring to shove conservative radio down the throats of listeners in a way they couldn't if, among other things, government required broadcasters "to regularly show that they are operating on behalf of the public interest."
This is a pinched view of radio. There are upward of 2,000 U.S. talk stations that deal with news and issues, according to Michael Harrison of Talkers magazine, and they encompass all sorts of formats from National Public Radio to urban radio to shock jocks, none of which are dominated by right wingers. Conservative talk radio is a vibrant niche within that market, but there are many other places to go for news and opinion.
What is hard to find are liberal replicas of Rush Limbaugh, and that is due to the deepest structural imbalance of all - talent. Limbaugh and other top conservative talkers are silver-tongued, informative and - importantly - entertaining. These are qualities that can't be conjured out of nowhere, and designated liberal-radio saviors have tended not to have the requisite talent "on loan from God" (as Limbaugh puts it).
There have been conservative failures at talk radio for the same reason. Without the right mix of substance and entertainment, a host will fail to get ratings, and with that, be yanked from the air. "Ratings" is a word that appears only once in passing in the Center for American Progress report, because then it would have to acknowledge that conservative radio is successful exactly because it gets listeners..."
The single product they have difficulty controlling. They've got the movies in their hip pocket. Same with broadcast television. PBS? Please now. Newspapers? Cable news networks?
Vastly liberal leaning constructs of pinko joy.
But you don't have to look like Paris Hilton or George Loony, beg pardon, Clooney, to succeed in radio. Marvel of marvels. All it takes is talent. Limbaugh doesn't have to walk the walk because talking the talk is the name of the game and he in particular has got the goods. I chortle whenever someone refers to Barrack Hussein Obama as being "well-spoken". My local radio dude who does the Preparation H commercials is well-spoken, but enunciation isn't nearly as important as what's being enunciated even if the local guy and Hussein are equally adept when it comes to making it quite clear as to what it takes to be a well balanced asshole.
Liberalism has reared its ugly head to the point whereby sports writers, such as Lil Mikey Lupica, are tossing in political editorials alongside their thoughts on the Designated Hitter. Nauseating yes, but it's America. I fully expect a man working for a liberal rag to spout the wisdom of Mao whenever the feeling is upon him and there's no one calling for a level playing field in movies or TV or newsrags.
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