...flew into her ear.
And UK's National Health Service didn't send her to a specialist for three years, and only then after the head of the insect fell out of the tortured woman's ear.
Gross effing incompetence, is what it is.
But hey, it's free!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
"Good Night, Westley, Sleep Well...
...I'll most likely kill you in the morning."
Remember that scene from The Princess Bride? Well, back in WWII, a similar scenario occurred:
Under the blazing sun, Andy Coogan — his body emaciated by dysentery, malnutrition, years of crushing slave labour and the beatings administered by vicious guards — scratched away at the jungle floor, digging a grave for his dead mate, Speedy, one of hundreds who succumbed to Japanese brutality in the work camp where they were held as British prisoners-of-war.
Out of respect — a scant commodity in that Pacific hell-hole — he dug deep to bury his friend out of the reach of scavenging animals, deeper than the sadistic Lieutenant Suzuki in charge of the detail had demanded.
The Japanese officer, furious at being disobeyed, screamed at him to stop but Coogan — skeletal and dressed in nothing more than a loincloth — ploughed on until Speedy was decently buried.
As he finished and put down his spade, Suzuki eyed him coldly. ‘Dig another grave,’ he then ordered, ‘for yourself. Tomorrow you die.’
It was a threat the terrified Coogan had no doubt would be carried out as he spent a sleepless night, ticking down his last hours on earth. He had suffered every form of physical abuse as a prisoner of the Japanese since the fall of Singapore in February 1942.
He had been starved and beaten to a pulp, seen comrades used as bayonet practice, heard the swish of canes and samurai swords, witnessed heads lopped from shoulders, felt the victor’s heel on his own neck and escaped by the skin of his teeth for three-and-a-half terrible years.
But now it seemed his endurance and his courage would be to no avail. The end had come. He was doomed.
Come the morning, however, there was another dead POW to dispose of from the over-crowded, fly-blown, rat-infested huts. Coogan buried the fresh corpse, and Suzuki told him again. ‘Dig another grave, for tomorrow you die.’
The same happened the next day, and the one after that. The mental torture continued for days, until Suzuki tired of the game.
Remember that scene from The Princess Bride? Well, back in WWII, a similar scenario occurred:
Under the blazing sun, Andy Coogan — his body emaciated by dysentery, malnutrition, years of crushing slave labour and the beatings administered by vicious guards — scratched away at the jungle floor, digging a grave for his dead mate, Speedy, one of hundreds who succumbed to Japanese brutality in the work camp where they were held as British prisoners-of-war.
Out of respect — a scant commodity in that Pacific hell-hole — he dug deep to bury his friend out of the reach of scavenging animals, deeper than the sadistic Lieutenant Suzuki in charge of the detail had demanded.
The Japanese officer, furious at being disobeyed, screamed at him to stop but Coogan — skeletal and dressed in nothing more than a loincloth — ploughed on until Speedy was decently buried.
As he finished and put down his spade, Suzuki eyed him coldly. ‘Dig another grave,’ he then ordered, ‘for yourself. Tomorrow you die.’
It was a threat the terrified Coogan had no doubt would be carried out as he spent a sleepless night, ticking down his last hours on earth. He had suffered every form of physical abuse as a prisoner of the Japanese since the fall of Singapore in February 1942.
He had been starved and beaten to a pulp, seen comrades used as bayonet practice, heard the swish of canes and samurai swords, witnessed heads lopped from shoulders, felt the victor’s heel on his own neck and escaped by the skin of his teeth for three-and-a-half terrible years.
But now it seemed his endurance and his courage would be to no avail. The end had come. He was doomed.
Come the morning, however, there was another dead POW to dispose of from the over-crowded, fly-blown, rat-infested huts. Coogan buried the fresh corpse, and Suzuki told him again. ‘Dig another grave, for tomorrow you die.’
The same happened the next day, and the one after that. The mental torture continued for days, until Suzuki tired of the game.
Shipwreck Blog: La Belle, Matagorda, Texas
The ship of 17th-century French explorer/coloniser Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle.
Marine archaeologists are using a freeze-dry process to preserve the ship.
Apparently the colony that La Salle founded wasn't much of a sucess:
His team established a colony near Matagorda Bay, but it was ravaged by disease, rattlesnakes and Indians. Three years later, La Salle led a handful of survivors inland in search of the Mississippi. The explorer didn't make it out of Texas; he was murdered by his own men.
The Indians were probably Karankawa, who were native to the area and had a reputation for cannibalism, although this is disputed.
Marine archaeologists are using a freeze-dry process to preserve the ship.
Apparently the colony that La Salle founded wasn't much of a sucess:
His team established a colony near Matagorda Bay, but it was ravaged by disease, rattlesnakes and Indians. Three years later, La Salle led a handful of survivors inland in search of the Mississippi. The explorer didn't make it out of Texas; he was murdered by his own men.
The Indians were probably Karankawa, who were native to the area and had a reputation for cannibalism, although this is disputed.
Hey Baby...
...want a Creamsicle?
The ice cream man rapes a 14-year-old girl in his ice cream truck in Garner, NC.
The ice cream man rapes a 14-year-old girl in his ice cream truck in Garner, NC.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Will An American Legend Sail Again?
Maybe.
The weather has to be perfect for USS Constitution to sail under her own power in the open ocean.
You know, if President Obama had any sense, he'd make sure to be onboard Constitution for that cruise. He couldn't ask for a better media opportunity.
What's In That Bottle of Honey?
The pollen detective knows.
Why is that important, you might ask? A couple of reasons: one, because if a bottle of honey is labeled as being a product of Florida orange blossoms, for example, it looks strange if the honey within the bottle has pollen markers that indicate it came from basswood trees in Iowa. Just the simple act of keeping businessmen honest, since apparently ethics isn't popular with today's crop of entrepreneurs; second, some honeys command a premium price, just like any other product, and you want to be sure that when you spend lots of money on a product you are, in fact, getting that particular product and not a substitute or imitation.
Musical Interlude
Moby, Look Back In. This version combined with lovely video titled Dusk On the Thames:
Headline of the Day
"Driver Swerves To Avoid Moose, Hits Bear."
This sounds like an opportunity for a meme, of sorts. Let's use that same headline and use blanks where moose and bear appear. Presume you're the driver of the car, fill in the blanks:
Driver swerves to avoid __________, hits __________.
Put your answer in the comments. Be as offensive as you like. I won't tell anyone.
This sounds like an opportunity for a meme, of sorts. Let's use that same headline and use blanks where moose and bear appear. Presume you're the driver of the car, fill in the blanks:
Driver swerves to avoid __________, hits __________.
Put your answer in the comments. Be as offensive as you like. I won't tell anyone.
Meanwhile, Up In Mayberry...
...things go on as they always have, with a bit of sadness to mark the passing of George Lindsey and Andy Griffith.
It's a pretty part of the state of NC, not far from the state line with Virginia, and fall is the best time to go there.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Fixer-Upper Opportunity...
...out in the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
The Diamond Shoals Light Tower, off of Cape Hatteras, NC, is being sold by the General Services Administration.
It's probably very similar to Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, which I blogged about here.
You could call it a James Bond Villain starter kit.
The Diamond Shoals Light Tower, off of Cape Hatteras, NC, is being sold by the General Services Administration.
It's probably very similar to Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower, which I blogged about here.
You could call it a James Bond Villain starter kit.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Hey, Even Iron Man...
...can turn his ankle.
Robert Downey, Jr., injured performing a stunt on the set of Iron Man 3 in Wilmington, NC.
Robert Downey, Jr., injured performing a stunt on the set of Iron Man 3 in Wilmington, NC.
Where's the Kaboom?
It was at Seneca Lake, New York, in the year 1898.
The Onondaga was built in 1860; one of the largest steamers on the Finger Lakes. It was used to ferry soldiers to the south end of Seneca Lake during the Civil War, and later converted into a passenger steamer. By 1898, the boat had been docked. One of its final uses was housing quarantined smallpox victims.
"After that, the townspeople in Geneva decided let's make a big deal out of this."
So to send the boat to a watery grave, the Onondaga was loaded with 500 pounds of dynamite, 300 pounds of blasting powder and a barrel of gasoline.
"So it was quite a spectacle."
Fellow had a fine sense of understatement, didn't he?
The Onondaga was built in 1860; one of the largest steamers on the Finger Lakes. It was used to ferry soldiers to the south end of Seneca Lake during the Civil War, and later converted into a passenger steamer. By 1898, the boat had been docked. One of its final uses was housing quarantined smallpox victims.
"After that, the townspeople in Geneva decided let's make a big deal out of this."
So to send the boat to a watery grave, the Onondaga was loaded with 500 pounds of dynamite, 300 pounds of blasting powder and a barrel of gasoline.
"So it was quite a spectacle."
Fellow had a fine sense of understatement, didn't he?
Our Very Own Crazy Cat...Man
Over in Mint Hill.
The animal control people took 45 cats out of the house, most had to be euthanized. They gave him back three cats after sterilizing them.
The animal control people took 45 cats out of the house, most had to be euthanized. They gave him back three cats after sterilizing them.
Never the Twain Shall Meet
Not even in a box of chocolates.
We have several months to go before we actually get to vote. But with the Democratic National Convention headed to town in just a few weeks, you can declare your allegiance in chocolate.
Moonstruck Chocolate Co.'s Election Collection goes on sale this week at Fresh Market stores in Charlotte. Each four-piece box features either elephants or donkeys whimsically rendered in chocolate and filled with dark chocolate ganache.
Moonstruck rep Theresa Ford says they tried doing a mixed box with elephants and donkeys, but it didn't fly: "Nobody liked that."
We have several months to go before we actually get to vote. But with the Democratic National Convention headed to town in just a few weeks, you can declare your allegiance in chocolate.
Moonstruck Chocolate Co.'s Election Collection goes on sale this week at Fresh Market stores in Charlotte. Each four-piece box features either elephants or donkeys whimsically rendered in chocolate and filled with dark chocolate ganache.
Moonstruck rep Theresa Ford says they tried doing a mixed box with elephants and donkeys, but it didn't fly: "Nobody liked that."
Drag Racing In a Minivan?
You have to be kidding me.
'Cause when you're talking a minivan and drag racing, even if you win...you lose.
'Cause when you're talking a minivan and drag racing, even if you win...you lose.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Microbes Ripped My Flesh*
Well, not my flesh, but that of a man from Robeson County, NC, who died after being exposed to "flesh-eating" bacteria in the water during a fishing trip.
I'd guess he was wading in the shallows when he got cut; slipped and fell onto oyster shells, maybe? Then he washed the wound with water from the inlet (probably application of an antibacterial hand cream would have been better?)
Here's a video:
*Where'd I get the blog title reference?
update: Video seems to not show on my blog anymore, so I killed it. You can see it at the link.
I'd guess he was wading in the shallows when he got cut; slipped and fell onto oyster shells, maybe? Then he washed the wound with water from the inlet (probably application of an antibacterial hand cream would have been better?)
*Where'd I get the blog title reference?
update: Video seems to not show on my blog anymore, so I killed it. You can see it at the link.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Scariest-Looking Dude I've Seen In a While
The Mummy Murderer.
Pic:
Just skull with skin on it and crazy, staring eyes. If I was walking in the woods and saw him coming toward me the first words out of my mouth would be OH, F*CK.
Just In Time For DNC
Charlotte installs ShotSpotter in the uptown area.
ShotSpotter is a system of gunshot location via sound sensors, similar to radio direction finding. When a gunshot rings out, accoustic sensors triangulate on the sound and locate the area in which it originated. It's already active in several cities, and I've mentioned it before on this blog as being active in Wilmington, North Carolina. It has the capability of getting cops to a crime scene quicker than 911 calls can, because often 911 calls aren't made in response to a gunshot.
ShotSpotter is a system of gunshot location via sound sensors, similar to radio direction finding. When a gunshot rings out, accoustic sensors triangulate on the sound and locate the area in which it originated. It's already active in several cities, and I've mentioned it before on this blog as being active in Wilmington, North Carolina. It has the capability of getting cops to a crime scene quicker than 911 calls can, because often 911 calls aren't made in response to a gunshot.
Sounds Like a Pixar Movie
"A kangaroo is on the lam in Germany after breaking out of a wildlife park, with a fox and a wild boar his suspected accomplices."
Someone with an Australian accent to voice the Kangaroo, obviously. Make the fox a female and Gwyneth Paltrow could voice that one. The wild boar? Eddie Murphy, maybe.
Someone with an Australian accent to voice the Kangaroo, obviously. Make the fox a female and Gwyneth Paltrow could voice that one. The wild boar? Eddie Murphy, maybe.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Houses In the Fields
Going to the store a few minutes ago, I noticed yet another farm house for sale, the field around it where soy beans once grew now choked with weeds. There's fewer farm fields out here every year; when we first moved out here it was all farms and woods. Now it's mostly sub-divisions.
John Gorka wrote a song about it, a good while ago (apologies for the sound/vid not syncing properly):
John Gorka wrote a song about it, a good while ago (apologies for the sound/vid not syncing properly):
Quote of the Day
Apart from treating my characters with the same respect as in any other form of novel, I have one sacred rule about the thriller. It is, it ought to be, it must be, a morality. If it strays from the side of the angels, provokes total despair, willfully destroys—without pressing need in the plot—the innocent and the good, takes pleasure in evil, that is unforgivable sin. I use the word deliberately and gravely.
Found here.
From Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter), creator of Brother Cadfael.
Found here.
From Ellis Peters (Edith Pargeter), creator of Brother Cadfael.
Treasure Blog: 1873 Seated Liberty Dime
From the Carson City mint, sold for $1.6M.
Here's a pic of an 1873 Seated Liberty:
The Mint also made Seated Liberty quarters, half dollars and silver dollars, as I recall.
Here's a pic of an 1873 Seated Liberty:
The Mint also made Seated Liberty quarters, half dollars and silver dollars, as I recall.
Rumor
Twitter is alive with rumors that Mitt Romney is going to pick Representative Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate.
Update: MSM is running with it.
Update: MSM is running with it.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Let's Play "Carnak!"
As you know, Carnak can discern the contents of a sealed envelope just by holding it against his head. Ready, Carnak?
"A Permanent Drippy Faucet."
A. Permanent. Drippy. Faucet.
*Carnak gives us a withering glance, then rips the end of the envelope, blows into it, pulls out the message, and reads:*
"What do you get when the last effective drugs for treatment of gonorrhea stop working?"
Thank you, Carnak.
A. Permanent. Drippy. Faucet.
*Carnak gives us a withering glance, then rips the end of the envelope, blows into it, pulls out the message, and reads:*
"What do you get when the last effective drugs for treatment of gonorrhea stop working?"
Thank you, Carnak.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
The Wooing Technique of the Usual Suspect...
...apparently involves the following:
1. Go to a random woman's house, age doesn't matter;
2. Announce to the woman that you have no girlfriend;
3. Further announce your intention to "get some;"
4. Force yourself on the hapless woman while hitting her in the head with a hammer.
Call it the Flintstone Method, mebbe?
1. Go to a random woman's house, age doesn't matter;
2. Announce to the woman that you have no girlfriend;
3. Further announce your intention to "get some;"
4. Force yourself on the hapless woman while hitting her in the head with a hammer.
Call it the Flintstone Method, mebbe?
How Appropriate.
She named her little felon "Demon."
Oh, I'm sure it's pronounced deeMAWN, but still. Stupid bitch actually had that filled out on his birth certificate?
Oh, I'm sure it's pronounced deeMAWN, but still. Stupid bitch actually had that filled out on his birth certificate?
Update: Justice Far Faster Than the Justice System Provides
Follow-up to this post of mine in which I reported on the murder of a rapist in Lancaster, SC. The rapist was murdered a few minutes after committing the crime.
Now comes the news that the rapist was killed by the brother of his victim, making this about as righteous a shooting as you can get these days and have it still be considered a crime. The police, of course, shake their heads sadly about "taking the law in their own hands," but I'm going to guess that when this one comes to a jury, there's going to be a strong desire to nullify what the law requires. Kid may get away with the murder, in other words.
After all, how many of you would act differently, were it your sister or other female relative involved?
Update: I'm reminded that Ambrose Bierce had a definition for homicide in his Devil's Dictionary:
HOMICIDE, n. The slaying of one human being by another. There are four kinds of homocide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy, but it makes no great difference to the person slain whether he fell by one kind or another -- the classification is for advantage of the lawyers.
This current one falls into the praiseworthy category, obviously.
Now comes the news that the rapist was killed by the brother of his victim, making this about as righteous a shooting as you can get these days and have it still be considered a crime. The police, of course, shake their heads sadly about "taking the law in their own hands," but I'm going to guess that when this one comes to a jury, there's going to be a strong desire to nullify what the law requires. Kid may get away with the murder, in other words.
After all, how many of you would act differently, were it your sister or other female relative involved?
Update: I'm reminded that Ambrose Bierce had a definition for homicide in his Devil's Dictionary:
HOMICIDE, n. The slaying of one human being by another. There are four kinds of homocide: felonious, excusable, justifiable, and praiseworthy, but it makes no great difference to the person slain whether he fell by one kind or another -- the classification is for advantage of the lawyers.
This current one falls into the praiseworthy category, obviously.
"Released To Their Parents"
One teenager was arrested, and two released to their parents, at a baseball game between St. Louis and San Francisco after they were caught flashing players with a laser.
The first kid might actually get a felony conviction out of it, with all the ruin of life that black mark brings to an individual; but what about the kids "released to their parents?" Will they receive anything more than a scolding or withholding of privileges? Once upon a time one's father would administer a spanking that would be memorable for its severity, a paddle, belt or switch being the usual instrument of correction. Maybe by the time you're 16 or 17 it wouldn't really hurt that much, but the shame of your father treating you as if you were an idiot (and you were, of course) would leave a more permanent mark than the spanking did.
The first kid might actually get a felony conviction out of it, with all the ruin of life that black mark brings to an individual; but what about the kids "released to their parents?" Will they receive anything more than a scolding or withholding of privileges? Once upon a time one's father would administer a spanking that would be memorable for its severity, a paddle, belt or switch being the usual instrument of correction. Maybe by the time you're 16 or 17 it wouldn't really hurt that much, but the shame of your father treating you as if you were an idiot (and you were, of course) would leave a more permanent mark than the spanking did.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
It Doesn't Take a Gun...
...to put someone in the hospital.
A nineteen-year-old pizza deliver driver is in ICU after being beaten with a baseball bat during a robbery.
A nineteen-year-old pizza deliver driver is in ICU after being beaten with a baseball bat during a robbery.
A Man Wrecking His Life
That would be country singer Randy Travis.
Apparently he's taken to drinking after his marriage of 19 years ended, and he's been arrested twice now in the last year, this time for DUI.
Here's a pic, with a grim-looking Travis sporting a shiner, either from his encounter with police or perhaps a bar fight:
No one around to catch him when he falls:
He could probably use a prayer or two right now, if you find the time.
Apparently he's taken to drinking after his marriage of 19 years ended, and he's been arrested twice now in the last year, this time for DUI.
Here's a pic, with a grim-looking Travis sporting a shiner, either from his encounter with police or perhaps a bar fight:
No one around to catch him when he falls:
He could probably use a prayer or two right now, if you find the time.
Marine Veteran Shoots Robber Dead
Via Amy Alkon.
Note: This occurred back in 2005. Sorry for posting old news, the link at Amy's didn't make clear when this happened.
Note: This occurred back in 2005. Sorry for posting old news, the link at Amy's didn't make clear when this happened.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
What a Disgrace
A woman in Salisbury won $1M in the North Carolina lottery.
But after taxes are removed, she only gets to keep $408,000.
Not even half of it.
And she's just an office manager, she could use the extra funds. What's she going to use it for?
Pay off debt.
The working poor in America: even when they win, they lose.
But after taxes are removed, she only gets to keep $408,000.
Not even half of it.
And she's just an office manager, she could use the extra funds. What's she going to use it for?
Pay off debt.
The working poor in America: even when they win, they lose.
Monday, August 06, 2012
This Car Has An Extra Pedal
Robbers in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida, were unable to make a getaway after they discovered that the car they had stolen had a manual transmission.
Shows how far we've come in the name of convenience when driving.
Shows how far we've come in the name of convenience when driving.
Get a Closer Look?
A discussion about visiting White Island, an active volcano in New Zealand, and the greater issue of "volcano tourism."
We're talking here of active volcanoes, not dormant volcanoes such as Oregon's Crater Lake or Washington state's Mt. Rainier (which many people probably aren't aware is a volcano). Most Americans will be familiar with Kilauea in Hawaii, which is an example of an active volcano that is comparatively safe because of the composition of the magma lying underneath it, which is lacking in the gases which cause explosive eruptions. While it is possible to die at Kilauea by breaking through a crust and burn in the liquid lava below, or become trapped by flowing lava, there is little danger of a massive explosion as typified by Mt. St.Helen's back in the 1980's. Unfortunately the gassy, explosive volcano is far more common than the Kilauea-type volcano.
The simplest advice I can give is that if the volcano is in a heightened state of alert because of movement of magma underneath it, it is not time for a visit.
We're talking here of active volcanoes, not dormant volcanoes such as Oregon's Crater Lake or Washington state's Mt. Rainier (which many people probably aren't aware is a volcano). Most Americans will be familiar with Kilauea in Hawaii, which is an example of an active volcano that is comparatively safe because of the composition of the magma lying underneath it, which is lacking in the gases which cause explosive eruptions. While it is possible to die at Kilauea by breaking through a crust and burn in the liquid lava below, or become trapped by flowing lava, there is little danger of a massive explosion as typified by Mt. St.Helen's back in the 1980's. Unfortunately the gassy, explosive volcano is far more common than the Kilauea-type volcano.
The simplest advice I can give is that if the volcano is in a heightened state of alert because of movement of magma underneath it, it is not time for a visit.
Sunday, August 05, 2012
There Can Be No Terror...
...when no lives are at risk.
What you have is, instead, seven minutes of worry.
Hyperbole isn't needed in science.
What you have is, instead, seven minutes of worry.
Hyperbole isn't needed in science.
Rare Photos of Pre-Revolution Russians
Circa 1860's-1870's.
Here's a sample pic, a knife sharpener:
There's also a pic of an abacus seller, which I guess would be sort of the Steve Jobs of the period. Click the link to see it, and a bunch of others.
Here's a sample pic, a knife sharpener:
There's also a pic of an abacus seller, which I guess would be sort of the Steve Jobs of the period. Click the link to see it, and a bunch of others.
Weird Hit-and-Run Here In Charlotte
Story.
Police are searching for the red sports car that hit and killed a man on Saturday night.
The incident happened on Eastway Drive and Howie Circle about 10 p.m. According to a witness, the victim walked into the middle of the road and then sat "Indian style" before being struck.
Reportedly, the car hit the victim, then circled around twice to get a glance of the injuries before speeding off.
Behavior of the victim would indicate intention to suicide or mental illness. Behavior of the driver? Callous disregard for human life.
Police are searching for the red sports car that hit and killed a man on Saturday night.
The incident happened on Eastway Drive and Howie Circle about 10 p.m. According to a witness, the victim walked into the middle of the road and then sat "Indian style" before being struck.
Reportedly, the car hit the victim, then circled around twice to get a glance of the injuries before speeding off.
Behavior of the victim would indicate intention to suicide or mental illness. Behavior of the driver? Callous disregard for human life.
Friday, August 03, 2012
One of the Bad Days
One of those days when the hatred and despite are all turned inward, and I barely have the resources to combat it.
Peggy Lee said it best, in a song:
Peggy Lee said it best, in a song:
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Dis Means War
When police in Montpelier Vermont arrested Roger Pion for marijuana possession, they didn't realize he'd take it personally:
Yes, he got on a farm tractor and crushed the town's police cars.
A couple of famous YouTube clips are germane:
And:
Yes, he got on a farm tractor and crushed the town's police cars.
A couple of famous YouTube clips are germane:
And:
Fast & Furious Figure Resigns
William Hoover, who served as Deputy Director of ATF during Fast & Furious.
William Hoover was one of the five ATF officials House oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley singled out as responsible for Operation Fast and Furious. ATF spokesman Drew Wade told the AP that Hoover resigned on Tuesday – the day Issa and Grassley released the congressional report in which they singled out Hoover and four of his colleagues.
William Hoover was one of the five ATF officials House oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa and Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley singled out as responsible for Operation Fast and Furious. ATF spokesman Drew Wade told the AP that Hoover resigned on Tuesday – the day Issa and Grassley released the congressional report in which they singled out Hoover and four of his colleagues.
Dude, You're Still Superficial
Young actor Justin Long talks to University of Florida students about his youth and the stupid decisions he made back then.
Like voting for Ralph Nader in 2000, and for Barack Obama in 2008.
Now he's smarter, and is informed, and intends to vote for...Barack Obama.
"When I was a kid, I was obsessed with football," he said. "I loved the Gators, because their helmets were cool. I was really superficial."
Like voting for Ralph Nader in 2000, and for Barack Obama in 2008.
Now he's smarter, and is informed, and intends to vote for...Barack Obama.
"When I was a kid, I was obsessed with football," he said. "I loved the Gators, because their helmets were cool. I was really superficial."
Jaws, North Carolina Version
You can keep your Great White Sharks. At North Carolina beaches, we have alligators!
A 10-foot alligator crawled out of the waves on Holden Beach Wednesday morning, ambling in and out of the surf and attracting dozens of onlookers before eventually being captured by state wildlife officials.
"He had a big ol' mouth with teeth popping. We had a bit of excitement down here," said David Hewett, Holden Beach's town manager. "It's not the biggest gator I've ever seen, but he was big enough."
Big ol' mouth with teeth poppin'.
*grins*
Here's a pic of Mr. Gator:
Not to put too fine a point on it, but you sun worshipers start looking like that around age 50 if you don't take it easy, if you know what I mean.
A 10-foot alligator crawled out of the waves on Holden Beach Wednesday morning, ambling in and out of the surf and attracting dozens of onlookers before eventually being captured by state wildlife officials.
"He had a big ol' mouth with teeth popping. We had a bit of excitement down here," said David Hewett, Holden Beach's town manager. "It's not the biggest gator I've ever seen, but he was big enough."
Big ol' mouth with teeth poppin'.
*grins*
Here's a pic of Mr. Gator:
Not to put too fine a point on it, but you sun worshipers start looking like that around age 50 if you don't take it easy, if you know what I mean.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Irony of the Day
Here:
I'm not and never have been a marijuana smoker, never even tried it in high school. I think it's more useful these days as a pretext for government, especially police, interference with your freedom, and as such is a bad thing.
A pot-smoker just became most decorated Olympian in history. The "gateway drug" can indeed be gateway to greatness: thebea.st/Nbd9xs
— Andrew Sullivan (@sullydish) August 1, 2012
I'm not and never have been a marijuana smoker, never even tried it in high school. I think it's more useful these days as a pretext for government, especially police, interference with your freedom, and as such is a bad thing.
"The News Media Today Is Killing Faith In God, All In the Name of Diversity"
Down in Wilmington, NC, the boycott against Chik-Fil-A appears to be backfiring.
Nobody picketed outside during the rainy morning hours, and there was no line of gay supporters ordering water and nothing else, an idea hatched on YouTube to nibble away at Chick-fil-A's daily profit.
But there were some eating biscuits in support of Cathy.
Armond Weatherly jumped into his appliance truck and verified that he supports Cathy's stance on gay marriage.
"I'm against it myself," he said.
Inside, a group of four white-haired men sat at a table, awaiting their fifth.
"We want to support Mr. Cathy and his stand on the Bible," said Bill Stines of Wilmington. "I think it's time that Christians stood up."
Dan Grimsley, seated at the same table, mostly agreed.
"It's not strictly religious to me," he said. "It's this ‘in-the-face' attitude."
Nobody picketed outside during the rainy morning hours, and there was no line of gay supporters ordering water and nothing else, an idea hatched on YouTube to nibble away at Chick-fil-A's daily profit.
But there were some eating biscuits in support of Cathy.
Armond Weatherly jumped into his appliance truck and verified that he supports Cathy's stance on gay marriage.
"I'm against it myself," he said.
Inside, a group of four white-haired men sat at a table, awaiting their fifth.
"We want to support Mr. Cathy and his stand on the Bible," said Bill Stines of Wilmington. "I think it's time that Christians stood up."
Dan Grimsley, seated at the same table, mostly agreed.
"It's not strictly religious to me," he said. "It's this ‘in-the-face' attitude."
Fast & Furious: How High Did It Go?
At the very least to the level of Deputy Attorney General.
But this new congressional report, released Tuesday by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Chuck Grassley — both Republicans — concludes senior Obama administration officials appear to have set the stage for, and possibly encouraged, ATF officials to walk guns into Mexico.
The report finds that Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, who leads the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, told Holder about the Firearms Trafficking Working Group (FTWG) in an Aug. 19, 2009, memo of recommendation.
“The FTWG’s mission was to formulate a plan to improve the U.S. government’s efforts in stemming the illegal flow of weapons, which was fueling escalating violence along both sides of the Southwestern border,” the report reads. “The working group’s first recommendation was that the ‘attorney general and secretary of Homeland Security should form an interagency Southwest Border (‘SWB’) firearms trafficking strategy group.’ According to the Justice Department, ‘the deputy attorney general responded to the specific proposals in this memorandum by forming the Southwest Border Strategy Group, which he chaired.’”
Shortly thereafter, then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, the No. 2 official in the Department of Justice, drafted and disseminated a new planning document titled “Strategy for Combating the Mexican Cartels.”
But this new congressional report, released Tuesday by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Chuck Grassley — both Republicans — concludes senior Obama administration officials appear to have set the stage for, and possibly encouraged, ATF officials to walk guns into Mexico.
The report finds that Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, who leads the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, told Holder about the Firearms Trafficking Working Group (FTWG) in an Aug. 19, 2009, memo of recommendation.
“The FTWG’s mission was to formulate a plan to improve the U.S. government’s efforts in stemming the illegal flow of weapons, which was fueling escalating violence along both sides of the Southwestern border,” the report reads. “The working group’s first recommendation was that the ‘attorney general and secretary of Homeland Security should form an interagency Southwest Border (‘SWB’) firearms trafficking strategy group.’ According to the Justice Department, ‘the deputy attorney general responded to the specific proposals in this memorandum by forming the Southwest Border Strategy Group, which he chaired.’”
Shortly thereafter, then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden, the No. 2 official in the Department of Justice, drafted and disseminated a new planning document titled “Strategy for Combating the Mexican Cartels.”
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
How They Found USS Grunion
Lost during WWII in the Bering Sea while engaged in battle with the Japanese.
I guess no one in the US Navy thought to look for the Grunion by checking Japanese sources.
And, the "circular run" torpedo that doomed the Grunion was not all that different from the one that caused the sinking of USS Tang and the capture of its crew by the Japanese, including skipper Richard H. O'Kane, who was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor.
I guess no one in the US Navy thought to look for the Grunion by checking Japanese sources.
And, the "circular run" torpedo that doomed the Grunion was not all that different from the one that caused the sinking of USS Tang and the capture of its crew by the Japanese, including skipper Richard H. O'Kane, who was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor.
That's Where That "We" Came From
Obama: “If the Election Were Held Today, We Would Win.”
I guess that he's talking about himself and Valerie Jarrett, since apparently she calls the shots on the important decisions in the White House.
I guess that he's talking about himself and Valerie Jarrett, since apparently she calls the shots on the important decisions in the White House.
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Cow MUST Be Milked
Peter Jackson announces a third "Hobbit" movie.
And, no doubt, each film will stray even farther from the spirit of Tolkien's work.
And, no doubt, each film will stray even farther from the spirit of Tolkien's work.
Justice Far Faster Than the Justice System Provides
Down in Lancaster, SC, a man who raped a 16-year-old girl was murdered just a few minutes later.
I'll throw in all the usual platitudes about vigilantism and taking the law into one's own hands, but I ain't about to grieve over this scumbag.
I'll throw in all the usual platitudes about vigilantism and taking the law into one's own hands, but I ain't about to grieve over this scumbag.
33 Years Later...
...a woman is reunited with her high school class ring.
You see these stories often. Because of the specific data usually found on such rings - - school name, year, and the owner's initials - - it is easier to trace the former owner than with other types of lost jewelry.
You see these stories often. Because of the specific data usually found on such rings - - school name, year, and the owner's initials - - it is easier to trace the former owner than with other types of lost jewelry.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Orton Will Be Transformed, Better...
...but you'll likely never be able to see it in its transformed state.
Orton Plantation, once a tourist attraction on the west bank of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, is undergoing extensive renovations under its new owner, who wishes to bring back the longleaf pine forest and rice cultivation of 200 years ago.
He doesn't desire to bring back the tourists, however, so if you haven't been to Orton already, you're not likely to be invited now.
Orton Plantation House.
Orton Plantation, once a tourist attraction on the west bank of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina, is undergoing extensive renovations under its new owner, who wishes to bring back the longleaf pine forest and rice cultivation of 200 years ago.
He doesn't desire to bring back the tourists, however, so if you haven't been to Orton already, you're not likely to be invited now.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The Cripping and Blooding of America, 2050
It's the year 2050 in the Divided States of America. The country's motto, for so many years "e pluribus unum," is now de unum, duo. The country, although still nominally a single entity, is in fact divided in two along ideological grounds. Like the Yangs and Comms in the old "Star Trek" episode "Omega Glory," the Left and the Right are no longer on speaking terms, unless it is to hurl epithets, to browbeat and bullyrag.
Businesses and restaurants are prominently marked in one of two colors, blue for the Left and red for the Right. Inside Blue businesses you'll find the vidscreens turned to leftist media channels, the descendants of MSNBC although the letter designations have changed. In Red businesses the vidscreens are turned to Fox News, which has kept its name for all these years, tradition being important to the Right. If you step into a Blue business you had best not be wearing any clothing colored red; likewise it's best not to enter a Red business wearing blue clothing.
Historians tend to agree that restaurants began to cater to either Red or Blue around 2012, when the Christian business Chik-Fil-A was the target of Blue outrage and boycotts. Several Chik-Fil-A restaurants were in fact burned during mob violence on a so-called "Chik-Fil-A Appreciation Day," in which right-leaning people were encourage to eat at Chik-Fil-A out of solidarity for its corporate views. Violence broke out between Right and Left on this day, resulting in several deaths and three Chik-Fil-A restaurants being firebombed by Leftist agitators.
America began self-segregating in earnest not long afterwards. It had been years since right-wing politicians could reasonably expect to win office in places like California, Massachusetts or New York, so they stopped even bothering, and moved to the Old South or the West where their views were welcome. By the same token, after decades of gerrymandering it became obvious that Leftists could not compete politically in the "flyover states" as they sneeringly called them. The widespread deportations of illegal immigrants from the flyover states changed the demographics of those areas drastically, as did the race riots that occurred in the Old South as a result of the black "Flash Mob" phenomenon (this was black violence perpetrated upon whites, usually with the encouragement of black politicians and church leaders. The left-leaning media outlets of the time refused to report on the racial aspects of the flash mobs, and thus came to be seen as collaborators in the flash mob violence, and were eventually targeted by outraged whites during the so-called "MSM Purge" of 2021).
Well, that's a good start, I think. You can probably tell I've read my share of Tom Kratman and Oh John Ringo No! novels in the recent past. *grins*
Businesses and restaurants are prominently marked in one of two colors, blue for the Left and red for the Right. Inside Blue businesses you'll find the vidscreens turned to leftist media channels, the descendants of MSNBC although the letter designations have changed. In Red businesses the vidscreens are turned to Fox News, which has kept its name for all these years, tradition being important to the Right. If you step into a Blue business you had best not be wearing any clothing colored red; likewise it's best not to enter a Red business wearing blue clothing.
Historians tend to agree that restaurants began to cater to either Red or Blue around 2012, when the Christian business Chik-Fil-A was the target of Blue outrage and boycotts. Several Chik-Fil-A restaurants were in fact burned during mob violence on a so-called "Chik-Fil-A Appreciation Day," in which right-leaning people were encourage to eat at Chik-Fil-A out of solidarity for its corporate views. Violence broke out between Right and Left on this day, resulting in several deaths and three Chik-Fil-A restaurants being firebombed by Leftist agitators.
America began self-segregating in earnest not long afterwards. It had been years since right-wing politicians could reasonably expect to win office in places like California, Massachusetts or New York, so they stopped even bothering, and moved to the Old South or the West where their views were welcome. By the same token, after decades of gerrymandering it became obvious that Leftists could not compete politically in the "flyover states" as they sneeringly called them. The widespread deportations of illegal immigrants from the flyover states changed the demographics of those areas drastically, as did the race riots that occurred in the Old South as a result of the black "Flash Mob" phenomenon (this was black violence perpetrated upon whites, usually with the encouragement of black politicians and church leaders. The left-leaning media outlets of the time refused to report on the racial aspects of the flash mobs, and thus came to be seen as collaborators in the flash mob violence, and were eventually targeted by outraged whites during the so-called "MSM Purge" of 2021).
Well, that's a good start, I think. You can probably tell I've read my share of Tom Kratman and Oh John Ringo No! novels in the recent past. *grins*
Friday, July 27, 2012
First He Wanted To Spread the Wealth Around...
...now he wants to spread the school expulsions around in the same sort of fashion.
President Barack Obama is backing a controversial campaign by progressives to regulate schools’ disciplinary actions so that members of major racial and ethnic groups are penalized at equal rates, regardless of individuals’ behavior.
His July 26 executive order established a government panel to promote “a positive school climate that does not rely on methods that result in disparate use of disciplinary tools.”
“African Americans lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline,” said the order, titled “White House Initiative On Educational Excellence.”
Expulsion quotas.
*shakes head in disgust*
I guess his next big idea will be to spread justice around, so he'll advocate arrest quotas and jail time for whites because blacks are disproportionately sent to prison.
President Barack Obama is backing a controversial campaign by progressives to regulate schools’ disciplinary actions so that members of major racial and ethnic groups are penalized at equal rates, regardless of individuals’ behavior.
His July 26 executive order established a government panel to promote “a positive school climate that does not rely on methods that result in disparate use of disciplinary tools.”
“African Americans lack equal access to highly effective teachers and principals, safe schools, and challenging college-preparatory classes, and they disproportionately experience school discipline,” said the order, titled “White House Initiative On Educational Excellence.”
Expulsion quotas.
*shakes head in disgust*
I guess his next big idea will be to spread justice around, so he'll advocate arrest quotas and jail time for whites because blacks are disproportionately sent to prison.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Stereotypes All Round
Down at a convenience store in Rock Hill, SC, in which the clerk was shot by the robbers...
...the clerk was the stereotypical Indian named Patel, and the robbers were the stereotypical Young Black Men.
...the clerk was the stereotypical Indian named Patel, and the robbers were the stereotypical Young Black Men.
Hypocrite Says What?
"I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree, AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals." - - President Obama, speaking to Urban League of New Orleans on the 25th of July.
Oh, you mean AK-47's like the ones you and your utterly corrupt Attorney General, Eric Holder, allowed to flow into Mexico and into the hands of drug cartels, who used them to murder over 300 Mexican nationals and Border Patrol agent Brian Terry? Those AK-47's?
Oh, you mean AK-47's like the ones you and your utterly corrupt Attorney General, Eric Holder, allowed to flow into Mexico and into the hands of drug cartels, who used them to murder over 300 Mexican nationals and Border Patrol agent Brian Terry? Those AK-47's?
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Handgun Trumps Axe
In Lancaster, SC:
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lancaster man Tuesday after he walked into a restaurant and demanded money while wielding an axe, police say.
David Leroy Deese, 45, of 2562 Cane Mill Road in Lancaster, is charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Deese walked into Rusty’s Grill at 2423 Pineview Drive around 5:34 a.m. with axe in hand. That’s when the business owner took out a handgun and challenged Deese, the release states.
Deese soon began apologizing, saying that he was “on drugs,” police say. He then fled the scene.
Dude doesn't know how lucky he is to be alive at this point, I think. Restaurant owner could have blown him away and no one would have said a thing except nice grouping.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Lancaster man Tuesday after he walked into a restaurant and demanded money while wielding an axe, police say.
David Leroy Deese, 45, of 2562 Cane Mill Road in Lancaster, is charged with armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Deese walked into Rusty’s Grill at 2423 Pineview Drive around 5:34 a.m. with axe in hand. That’s when the business owner took out a handgun and challenged Deese, the release states.
Deese soon began apologizing, saying that he was “on drugs,” police say. He then fled the scene.
Dude doesn't know how lucky he is to be alive at this point, I think. Restaurant owner could have blown him away and no one would have said a thing except nice grouping.
Meanwhile, In Kentucky...
...where they barbecue sheep...
The mutton BBQ of Kentucky, centered around Owensboro. Anyone tried it?
The mutton BBQ of Kentucky, centered around Owensboro. Anyone tried it?
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Glock Question
Anyone own one of the sub-compact Glocks? I'm thinking specifically of the 26 in 9mm, and am wondering if they are as reliable as the full-sized Glocks. Would like your opinions.
In Which I Find Myself In Perfect Agreement With An MSNBC Host
Toure: ‘Let’s make sure law abiding white people have access to guns and make sure that black criminals are not.”
Couldn't have said it better myself. You find that racist? Tough shit.
Couldn't have said it better myself. You find that racist? Tough shit.
The First Rule of Peckerwood Catfight Club...
...is DON'T LAUGH.
ENOCHSVILLE -- A fight earlier this month between two Rowan County girls has led to the arrests of 11 people, including a woman who sheriff’s deputies allege set up the fight between her daughter and another teen.
The mother denies the charges, and her daughter says her mother was attacked by two young men during the brawl.
Click the link to read the rest of this tragicomic story.
ENOCHSVILLE -- A fight earlier this month between two Rowan County girls has led to the arrests of 11 people, including a woman who sheriff’s deputies allege set up the fight between her daughter and another teen.
The mother denies the charges, and her daughter says her mother was attacked by two young men during the brawl.
Click the link to read the rest of this tragicomic story.
When Betty Betrayed Us
Betty Crocker, that is.
Have you taken a close look at a box of cake mix lately?
I’ll confess that I hadn’t. You know how it is: You get used to something and you don’t think to check it.
Then a reader called to tell me a recipe that called for an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix was wrong. She’d gone to the store and checked: All the cake mixes were 15.2 or 16.5 ounces.
No, no, no, I insisted. The standard cake mix is 18.25 ounces. Has been for years. I don’t need to check it.
Sorry, but I did need to check. A quick message to Anne Byrn of Nashville, who has made a career out of her “Cake Mix Doctor” books, turned up the news. Quietly, with no announcement, the cake mix companies have made their packages smaller.
It started a year ago with Betty Crocker, followed by Duncan Hines. Pillsbury joined them last month.
The problem, of course, is the cost of food. Rather than increase the price, the companies made the product smaller and kept the cost the same.
Betty, you bitch.
Have you taken a close look at a box of cake mix lately?
I’ll confess that I hadn’t. You know how it is: You get used to something and you don’t think to check it.
Then a reader called to tell me a recipe that called for an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix was wrong. She’d gone to the store and checked: All the cake mixes were 15.2 or 16.5 ounces.
No, no, no, I insisted. The standard cake mix is 18.25 ounces. Has been for years. I don’t need to check it.
Sorry, but I did need to check. A quick message to Anne Byrn of Nashville, who has made a career out of her “Cake Mix Doctor” books, turned up the news. Quietly, with no announcement, the cake mix companies have made their packages smaller.
It started a year ago with Betty Crocker, followed by Duncan Hines. Pillsbury joined them last month.
The problem, of course, is the cost of food. Rather than increase the price, the companies made the product smaller and kept the cost the same.
Betty, you bitch.
Mebbe He's Not Browning Or Stoner...
...but if you were in the US Army and used the M16A2 rifle, you should consider thanking John Struve.
Struve, a former soldier himself who later worked for the Small Arms System Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, designed an improved muzzle compensator for the M16A2 that made it more accurate in full-auto fire.
Click the link to read his story in The Stars & Stripes.
Struve, a former soldier himself who later worked for the Small Arms System Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, designed an improved muzzle compensator for the M16A2 that made it more accurate in full-auto fire.
Click the link to read his story in The Stars & Stripes.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg Thinks That Cops...
...should stop doing their jobs until the US public is terrorized into supporting gun control.
What an insufferable prick this man is. 200 years ago he'd have been tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a wooden rail.
What an insufferable prick this man is. 200 years ago he'd have been tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a wooden rail.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Headline of the Day
Report From Aurora: John Holmes Will Not Control Our Lives.
Sounds like the title of a 1970's porno movie, if you ask me.
Sounds like the title of a 1970's porno movie, if you ask me.
Meanwhile, In a Laboratory...
...scientists are trying to spawn Cthulhu:
Now Frankenstein can have a pet jellyfish. A team of scientists has taken the heart cells of a rat, arranged them on a piece of rubbery silicon, added a jolt of electricity, and created a “Franken-jelly.” Just like a real jellyfish, the artificial jelly swims around by pumping water in and out of its bell-shaped body. Researchers hope the advance can someday help engineers design better artificial hearts and other muscular organs.
This is the sort of crap that teenagers in the 50's had to rescue us from. Remember The Blob? The Thing?
Best leave well enough alone.
Now Frankenstein can have a pet jellyfish. A team of scientists has taken the heart cells of a rat, arranged them on a piece of rubbery silicon, added a jolt of electricity, and created a “Franken-jelly.” Just like a real jellyfish, the artificial jelly swims around by pumping water in and out of its bell-shaped body. Researchers hope the advance can someday help engineers design better artificial hearts and other muscular organs.
This is the sort of crap that teenagers in the 50's had to rescue us from. Remember The Blob? The Thing?
Best leave well enough alone.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Buried Pirate Treasure!
At Fowler's Bluff on the banks of the Suwanee River in Florida?
They're a-digging...
A pirate's curse is afoot, and it could be keeping some valuable booty several feet underground.
Here in this swampy hamlet on the east bank of the Suwannee River, where the air thickens with mosquitoes, a legend of buried treasure is firmly entrenched in local lore.
For years, through many landowners, treasure hunters have tried and failed to come up with the loot they believe was buried by 1800s French privateer Jean Lafitte — some say because such endeavors carry a curse preventing the treasure from being uncovered.
None have dug up the treasure, with the exception of one rumored recovery that may or may not have happened.
Click the link to read the rest. Makes for an exciting story, whether it's true or not.
They're a-digging...
A pirate's curse is afoot, and it could be keeping some valuable booty several feet underground.
Here in this swampy hamlet on the east bank of the Suwannee River, where the air thickens with mosquitoes, a legend of buried treasure is firmly entrenched in local lore.
For years, through many landowners, treasure hunters have tried and failed to come up with the loot they believe was buried by 1800s French privateer Jean Lafitte — some say because such endeavors carry a curse preventing the treasure from being uncovered.
None have dug up the treasure, with the exception of one rumored recovery that may or may not have happened.
Click the link to read the rest. Makes for an exciting story, whether it's true or not.
Cain and Abel In Hickory, NC
Brother kills brother.
A man has been arrested after police say he shot and killed his brother.
Billy Seagle was arrested after police say he killed his brother Kenneth Seagle late Friday night at their home on Misty Valley Road in Hickory.
Even the names sound similar to the Biblical ones, although the roles are reversed: Billy (Abel) killed Kenneth (Cain) in this iteration.
A man has been arrested after police say he shot and killed his brother.
Billy Seagle was arrested after police say he killed his brother Kenneth Seagle late Friday night at their home on Misty Valley Road in Hickory.
Even the names sound similar to the Biblical ones, although the roles are reversed: Billy (Abel) killed Kenneth (Cain) in this iteration.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Dead At the Bottom of a Well
Over in Rockingham, NC, a hiker made a gruesome discovery.
Authorities are investigating the discovery of skeletal remains near an abandoned cotton mill in Richmond County.
The Richmond County Journal reported that a 26-year-old Charlotte man who was exploring the mill and taking photos discovered the remains.
The man, Walter Burlington, says he saw pants, a belt and a rib cage Thursday afternoon. Rockingham police Chief Billy Kelly says Burlington found the remains in a well.
I blogged on a similar story several years ago. In that case a Spaniard who fell into a well while hunting ended up blowing his brains out after three days when no one responded to his calls for help.
Did this person suffer a similar fate, or was he a murder victim who was thrown into the well to hide the body? More details will be needed, and with the remains in a skeletal condition, determining cause of death may be problematic.
Authorities are investigating the discovery of skeletal remains near an abandoned cotton mill in Richmond County.
The Richmond County Journal reported that a 26-year-old Charlotte man who was exploring the mill and taking photos discovered the remains.
The man, Walter Burlington, says he saw pants, a belt and a rib cage Thursday afternoon. Rockingham police Chief Billy Kelly says Burlington found the remains in a well.
I blogged on a similar story several years ago. In that case a Spaniard who fell into a well while hunting ended up blowing his brains out after three days when no one responded to his calls for help.
Did this person suffer a similar fate, or was he a murder victim who was thrown into the well to hide the body? More details will be needed, and with the remains in a skeletal condition, determining cause of death may be problematic.
A Favorite Saturday Pastime...
...is to read the comments by commenter "Toejam" on the Grouchy Old Cripple blog's regular Saturday feature, "Saturday Boobage."
I look forward to it every Saturday, and so should you.
I look forward to it every Saturday, and so should you.
Goat Man?
Roaming around the mountains of Utah dressed as a goat.
And mingling with herds of wild goats.
I wonder if he's dressed as a ram or a ewe? If he's dressed as a ewe he might just find himself in trouble one of these days.
Just sayin'.
And mingling with herds of wild goats.
I wonder if he's dressed as a ram or a ewe? If he's dressed as a ewe he might just find himself in trouble one of these days.
Just sayin'.
George Lucas: You Won't Let Me Build A Movie Studio On My Own Land?
Well, fine then. I'll build low-income housing on it, instead.
Which in Marin County, California, described in the article as one of the wealthiest, whitest communities in the U.S. (bolding mine).
Can't have that, oh, no. Crime, picaninnies and chicken bones everywhere, and they all talk like Jar Jar Binks!
Which in Marin County, California, described in the article as one of the wealthiest, whitest communities in the U.S. (bolding mine).
Can't have that, oh, no. Crime, picaninnies and chicken bones everywhere, and they all talk like Jar Jar Binks!
How Obama's, Romney's Gun Control Views Have "Evolved"
Washington Post article.
The article doesn't mention Obama's appointment of anti-gun Justices to the Supreme Court: Sotomayor and Kagan. Nor does the article mention Obama's promise to Sarah Brady to work on gun control "under the radar," and makes no mention at all of the Fast & Furious gunwalking scandal that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Mexican nationals as well as Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and ICE agent Jaime Zapata.
The article doesn't mention Obama's appointment of anti-gun Justices to the Supreme Court: Sotomayor and Kagan. Nor does the article mention Obama's promise to Sarah Brady to work on gun control "under the radar," and makes no mention at all of the Fast & Furious gunwalking scandal that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Mexican nationals as well as Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and ICE agent Jaime Zapata.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Invasive Species? Hunt 'Em Down and Eat 'Em!
The inaugural Lionfish Derby in Wilmington, NC.
Early Saturday morning, about 20 scuba divers armed with spear guns will embark from Masonboro Inlet on a sea safari. Their mission: to lance and kill as many lionfish as possible.
"We're trying to do our part to control the lionfish in this area," said Inman Campbell, shop manager at Scuba-Now in Wilmington, who organized Saturday's inaugural Lionfish Derby. "They're starting to take over."
The lionfish, a spiny, brown-and-white striped animal native to the South Pacific and Indian oceans, has been present in North Carolina waters since at least the early 2000s. While visually stunning, the invasive species is a prolific breeder and a voracious eater that can quickly and easily thin populations of native fish. Lionfish are covered in venomous spikes and thus have very few predators in Carolina waters, which can make it difficult to control their population sprawl.
It's a good start. Another way to reduce their numbers is to exempt lionfish from any sort of catch limit for both commercial and hobby fishermen.
Early Saturday morning, about 20 scuba divers armed with spear guns will embark from Masonboro Inlet on a sea safari. Their mission: to lance and kill as many lionfish as possible.
"We're trying to do our part to control the lionfish in this area," said Inman Campbell, shop manager at Scuba-Now in Wilmington, who organized Saturday's inaugural Lionfish Derby. "They're starting to take over."
The lionfish, a spiny, brown-and-white striped animal native to the South Pacific and Indian oceans, has been present in North Carolina waters since at least the early 2000s. While visually stunning, the invasive species is a prolific breeder and a voracious eater that can quickly and easily thin populations of native fish. Lionfish are covered in venomous spikes and thus have very few predators in Carolina waters, which can make it difficult to control their population sprawl.
It's a good start. Another way to reduce their numbers is to exempt lionfish from any sort of catch limit for both commercial and hobby fishermen.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
OK, It's Enemy Action
Bob Edwards of Charlotte has been struck by lightning three times now.
Ralph Edwards recalls his first reaction when he heard his son Bob had been hit by lightning Monday.
“Oh, Lord no, not again!” said Edwards.
For the third time, Bob Edwards has survived a reported lightning strike, but says he has been left with physical and emotional scars.
“I don’t know why it’s happened, but I’ve had enough of it,” says Edwards, 51, of southwest Charlotte.
Click the link to read the rest.
What the hell do you do in this situation? Enter a monastery? Propitiate Zeus? Wear a Thor's Hammer?
Ralph Edwards recalls his first reaction when he heard his son Bob had been hit by lightning Monday.
“Oh, Lord no, not again!” said Edwards.
For the third time, Bob Edwards has survived a reported lightning strike, but says he has been left with physical and emotional scars.
“I don’t know why it’s happened, but I’ve had enough of it,” says Edwards, 51, of southwest Charlotte.
Click the link to read the rest.
What the hell do you do in this situation? Enter a monastery? Propitiate Zeus? Wear a Thor's Hammer?
He Brought a Sword To a Gunfight
In Winston-Salem, NC.
WINSTON-SALEM -- Winston-Salem police say a 67-year-old man has been shot to death after he attacked a man with a sword.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported that 56-year-old James Samuels was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a gun by a convicted felon and the sale and delivery of marijuana.
But police say Samuels will not be charged with killing Anthony Alphonzo McArthur because Samuels was acting in self-defense.
Winston-Salem police say McArthur had attacked Samuels with an 18-inch sword because he was unhappy with the amount of marijuana he purchased from Samuels.
Could just as easily call this one When geezers attack, I guess. Watching the Baby Boomers age ain't pretty.
WINSTON-SALEM -- Winston-Salem police say a 67-year-old man has been shot to death after he attacked a man with a sword.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported that 56-year-old James Samuels was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a gun by a convicted felon and the sale and delivery of marijuana.
But police say Samuels will not be charged with killing Anthony Alphonzo McArthur because Samuels was acting in self-defense.
Winston-Salem police say McArthur had attacked Samuels with an 18-inch sword because he was unhappy with the amount of marijuana he purchased from Samuels.
Could just as easily call this one When geezers attack, I guess. Watching the Baby Boomers age ain't pretty.
Treasure Blog: 48 Tons of Silver
Recovered from the wreck of the HMS Gairsoppa, a cargo ship sunk off the coast of Ireland during WWII by a German U-Boat.
Almost $37M, and the salvage company gets to keep 80% of the profit.
Almost $37M, and the salvage company gets to keep 80% of the profit.
Headline of the Day
More Than 1000 Turtles Slowly Escape Captivity.
SUMMERVILLE, Ga. -- More than 1,000 turtles made a slow-speed escape from their turtle farm in northwest Georgia.
Turtle farmer David Driver tells sheriff's officials he suspects vandals might be to blame for tearing down fences around his turtle ponds in Summerville.
Authorities say that allowed the turtles - including snappers, Eastern paints and yellow-bellied sliders - to leave the farm and make a beeline to nearby ponds and creeks.
SUMMERVILLE, Ga. -- More than 1,000 turtles made a slow-speed escape from their turtle farm in northwest Georgia.
Turtle farmer David Driver tells sheriff's officials he suspects vandals might be to blame for tearing down fences around his turtle ponds in Summerville.
Authorities say that allowed the turtles - including snappers, Eastern paints and yellow-bellied sliders - to leave the farm and make a beeline to nearby ponds and creeks.
Report: FBI Refused To Investigate Fort Hood Shooter...
...because of political correctness:
The FBI was too concerned about political correctness and did not launch an investigation into a man who was later charged with killing 13 people in a 2009 attack at the Fort Hood military installation in Texas, despite significant warning signs that he was an Islamic extremist bent on killing civilians, according to a lawmaker briefed on a new report about the terrorist attack.
In emails to a known terrorist, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan expressed his support for suicide bombings and killing civilians, while the terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, encouraged Hasan to stay in touch, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, told The Associated Press on Wednesday after he was briefed on the findings of a new review of the attack.
The review was done by former FBI Director William Webster and was more than two years in the making. FBI Director Robert Mueller asked that Webster conduct an independent review, and the bureau is expected to release an unclassified version this week.
Well, when you have a President who bows before the king of Saudi Arabia and whose Justice Department makes a point of censoring Muslim extremism from terrorism manuals and military classes on terrorism, what did you expect?
The FBI was too concerned about political correctness and did not launch an investigation into a man who was later charged with killing 13 people in a 2009 attack at the Fort Hood military installation in Texas, despite significant warning signs that he was an Islamic extremist bent on killing civilians, according to a lawmaker briefed on a new report about the terrorist attack.
In emails to a known terrorist, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan expressed his support for suicide bombings and killing civilians, while the terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki, encouraged Hasan to stay in touch, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, told The Associated Press on Wednesday after he was briefed on the findings of a new review of the attack.
The review was done by former FBI Director William Webster and was more than two years in the making. FBI Director Robert Mueller asked that Webster conduct an independent review, and the bureau is expected to release an unclassified version this week.
Well, when you have a President who bows before the king of Saudi Arabia and whose Justice Department makes a point of censoring Muslim extremism from terrorism manuals and military classes on terrorism, what did you expect?
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