Pic:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Governor McCrory?
Tara Servatius, one of the best reporters in Charlotte, looks at some numbers.
31.4% – Again, as I wrote the other day, this is now essentially a Democrat or Democrat leaning state. It’s not deep blue, but rather a purpley blue, but definitely blue. And it is a state that has elected just two GOP governors since Reconstruction. The last one, Jim Martin, left office in 1993.
That, too, will give McCrory an uphill climb. Here’s what I wrote on that Friday:
It is common knowledge in the campaign world that GOP registration in a state or district has to be at 35 percent for the GOP to have a serious chance at winning. It’s at 31.4 percent. Unaffiliated registration is 24.5 percent. Democrat registration is 43.8 percent. To win, McCrory or another Republican must turn out the GOP, not too hard in an presidential year, and capture almost all of the the unaffiliated vote, or some of the unafilliated vote and some of the Democrat vote, not an easy thing to do.
McCrory, or any other Republican, could really struggle against someone who doesn’t start the race with high, built-in negatives like Perdue had.
Given that … Perdue’s announcement that she won’t run again was a huge blow to the state GOP — and to McCrory.
Click the link for more of her analysis. I myself am wondering if Perdue was encouraged to step aside, and will get a patronage job - - Ambassador to Somewhere - - in a second Obama administration?
31.4% – Again, as I wrote the other day, this is now essentially a Democrat or Democrat leaning state. It’s not deep blue, but rather a purpley blue, but definitely blue. And it is a state that has elected just two GOP governors since Reconstruction. The last one, Jim Martin, left office in 1993.
That, too, will give McCrory an uphill climb. Here’s what I wrote on that Friday:
It is common knowledge in the campaign world that GOP registration in a state or district has to be at 35 percent for the GOP to have a serious chance at winning. It’s at 31.4 percent. Unaffiliated registration is 24.5 percent. Democrat registration is 43.8 percent. To win, McCrory or another Republican must turn out the GOP, not too hard in an presidential year, and capture almost all of the the unaffiliated vote, or some of the unafilliated vote and some of the Democrat vote, not an easy thing to do.
McCrory, or any other Republican, could really struggle against someone who doesn’t start the race with high, built-in negatives like Perdue had.
Given that … Perdue’s announcement that she won’t run again was a huge blow to the state GOP — and to McCrory.
Click the link for more of her analysis. I myself am wondering if Perdue was encouraged to step aside, and will get a patronage job - - Ambassador to Somewhere - - in a second Obama administration?
Yuppiecue?
BBQ Jew hasn't yet tried it, but as a general principle, he's against it.
I could see where it could be come a class divide issue; while the Armani-wearing yuppie might be welcome in the working-class BBQ joint found anywhere in the rural South, would a working man - - a farmer, say - - in clean bib overalls with a red bandanna sticking out of his pocket be welcome in the Yuppie Cue restaurant, or would he be turned away for not conforming to the dress code?
I could see where it could be come a class divide issue; while the Armani-wearing yuppie might be welcome in the working-class BBQ joint found anywhere in the rural South, would a working man - - a farmer, say - - in clean bib overalls with a red bandanna sticking out of his pocket be welcome in the Yuppie Cue restaurant, or would he be turned away for not conforming to the dress code?
Five Years of This...
...here at The Drawn Cutlass, and a year or two before that on LiveJournal.
Here's the first post I ever did at The Drawn Cutlass.
I notice in the stats that most of my traffic comes from Google searches, specifically image searches, Giant Squid and Kim Kardashian's Tits being the top 2 searches.
Her tits? Damn, she has nice tits, but Kim Kardashian is all about the ass, guys. Just like J.-Lo or Nina Hartley.
In any event, thanks for continuing to read this drivel. I know I'd get more readers - - well, visitors - - by posting cheesecake or even NSFW pics of chicks, but I'm not in a competition, here. No trophy waiting across a finish line. It's free ice cream. Enjoy.
Here's the first post I ever did at The Drawn Cutlass.
I notice in the stats that most of my traffic comes from Google searches, specifically image searches, Giant Squid and Kim Kardashian's Tits being the top 2 searches.
Her tits? Damn, she has nice tits, but Kim Kardashian is all about the ass, guys. Just like J.-Lo or Nina Hartley.
In any event, thanks for continuing to read this drivel. I know I'd get more readers - - well, visitors - - by posting cheesecake or even NSFW pics of chicks, but I'm not in a competition, here. No trophy waiting across a finish line. It's free ice cream. Enjoy.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Zombie George Washington?
Apparently William Thornton, the architect who designed the US Capitol building, wanted to re-animate Washington by warming the body next to a fire, inflating the lungs with a fireplace bellows, and transfuse lamb's blood into his veins.
There's a cool image that accompanies the article:
I guess that's the hatchet that young George used to chop down the cherry tree, if you remember your Parson Weems.
There's a cool image that accompanies the article:
I guess that's the hatchet that young George used to chop down the cherry tree, if you remember your Parson Weems.
Of Course It's South Carolina...
...why'd you ask?
Anderson County sheriff's deputies are investigating a man's report that he tried to shoot out the tires of his own car as his two teenage sons stole it and drove away.
The Anderson Independent-Mail reports that Mickey Mayberry, of Powdersville, says he was kicked in the head and shocked with a stun gun by his sons, who then took his keys.
Mayberry says he fired two bullets at the tires of the car as the 17-year-old and 19-year-old drove away. He says he wanted to stop them because there's a shotgun in the car.
Powdersville is along the I-85 corridor, SW of Spartanburg:
View Larger Map
Anderson County sheriff's deputies are investigating a man's report that he tried to shoot out the tires of his own car as his two teenage sons stole it and drove away.
The Anderson Independent-Mail reports that Mickey Mayberry, of Powdersville, says he was kicked in the head and shocked with a stun gun by his sons, who then took his keys.
Mayberry says he fired two bullets at the tires of the car as the 17-year-old and 19-year-old drove away. He says he wanted to stop them because there's a shotgun in the car.
Powdersville is along the I-85 corridor, SW of Spartanburg:
View Larger Map
Rust Threatens WWII-Era Submarine
USS Requin, a tourist attraction in Pittsburgh.
A World War II submarine that is a popular tourist attraction in Pittsburgh has rusted below the water level and may need costly repairs, officials said.
The Requin isn’t going to sink but may need as much as $2 million in repairs, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday.
Requin is docked on the Ohio River, at the Carnegie Science Center. Officials there said there is no danger, and visitors are still welcome.
A World War II submarine that is a popular tourist attraction in Pittsburgh has rusted below the water level and may need costly repairs, officials said.
The Requin isn’t going to sink but may need as much as $2 million in repairs, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday.
Requin is docked on the Ohio River, at the Carnegie Science Center. Officials there said there is no danger, and visitors are still welcome.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
And Yet Another Example...
...of newspaper editors omitting any mention of radical Islam in a crime story out of Wilmington, NC:
A federal magistrate judge says a North Carolina man must stand trial in a plot to hire a hit man to behead three witnesses in his brother's terrorism case.
Click the link to read the rest.
A federal magistrate judge says a North Carolina man must stand trial in a plot to hire a hit man to behead three witnesses in his brother's terrorism case.
Click the link to read the rest.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Today's Musical Interlude
The Carpenters, Superstar. What a voice Karen Carpenter had. The "superstar" mentioned in the song, by the way, is Eric Clapton. I like the oboe and horn arrangements in this song, too. It's been fashionable to snark on The Carpenters for decades now, but they had some great songs, and Karen was a hell of a singer. If you don't agree...well, fuck you, everyone that looks like you, and the horse you rode in on de gustibus non est disputandum, as the Romans said.
Cooking Day
Well, every day here is cooking day, but today being payday it's a little more sophisticated than the usual 2 baked chicken thighs. I bought a beef roast, and it's currently in the oven, should be ready to eat by lunchtime. I also bought the makings for crab dip, which I have an insane craving for right now. I'll provide photos if the food comes out halfway decent.
He Is the Very Model* of a Modern...Eccentric Englishman
For 62 years, 79-year-old Phillip Waren, of Brandford, Dorsetshire, has built warships out of wooden matchsticks and the wooden boxes they used to be packaged in.
The master modeller, from Brandford, Dorset, has created every ship built in the Royal Navy since 1945, as well as 60 other ships from the US navy and other impressive floating fortresses from 18 other nations. One of the largest ships in his collection is the famous USS Nimitz, the largest aircraft carrier in the world.
Throghout his career as a ship model builder, Phillip Waren created over 400 individual ships, as well as 1,200 airplane models that make his aircraft carriers look more real. The average ship in his collection is made using around 1,500 matchsticks and takes about a month to complete, but for his larger creations he used over 5,000 matchsticks and 200 wooden boxes. These took him about a year to complete. All in all, Phillip Waren used around 650,000 matchsticks, to create his entire fleet.
Some pics:
More pics at the link.
*Double Entendre unintended but fortuitous.
h/t The Mellow Jihadi.
The master modeller, from Brandford, Dorset, has created every ship built in the Royal Navy since 1945, as well as 60 other ships from the US navy and other impressive floating fortresses from 18 other nations. One of the largest ships in his collection is the famous USS Nimitz, the largest aircraft carrier in the world.
Throghout his career as a ship model builder, Phillip Waren created over 400 individual ships, as well as 1,200 airplane models that make his aircraft carriers look more real. The average ship in his collection is made using around 1,500 matchsticks and takes about a month to complete, but for his larger creations he used over 5,000 matchsticks and 200 wooden boxes. These took him about a year to complete. All in all, Phillip Waren used around 650,000 matchsticks, to create his entire fleet.
Some pics:
More pics at the link.
*Double Entendre unintended but fortuitous.
h/t The Mellow Jihadi.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
I'm More Elitist Than I Realize
A quiz about how closely you fit into the American mainstream.
via Michael Graham.
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via Michael Graham.
The Five
Over at Sharp As a Marble, Robb has started a meme about what 5 guns you most lust after. I'm more a knife nut than a gun nut, so I don't have a lot of guns, myself. I don't even own a .22 rifle or a shotgun, so my list of five will work to fix that lack:
1. Ruger 10/22. I'll take one in stainless steel with a nylon stock.
2. Ithaca Model 37 12-gauge shotgun, riot gun or Deerslayer configuration.
3. M1 Garand.
4. Remington Rolling Block rifle in .45-70. Most modern Americans are more familiar with the Sharps buffalo gun, but the Rolling Block was very nearly as popular, and was the rifle of choice for many of the world's armies in the pre-Mauser era.
5. Mauser HSc. In .32ACP, please. I just love the look of these WWII-era pistols.
1. Ruger 10/22. I'll take one in stainless steel with a nylon stock.
2. Ithaca Model 37 12-gauge shotgun, riot gun or Deerslayer configuration.
3. M1 Garand.
4. Remington Rolling Block rifle in .45-70. Most modern Americans are more familiar with the Sharps buffalo gun, but the Rolling Block was very nearly as popular, and was the rifle of choice for many of the world's armies in the pre-Mauser era.
5. Mauser HSc. In .32ACP, please. I just love the look of these WWII-era pistols.
Another Endangered Dog Breed In UK
The English Setter, one of the best bird hunting dogs known to man.
Pic:
You need a minimum of 300 dogs registered in any given year to maintain a breed, and the English Setter has fallen to 234 last year.
Pic:
You need a minimum of 300 dogs registered in any given year to maintain a breed, and the English Setter has fallen to 234 last year.
Looks Like Gov. Perdue Can Read the Poll Numbers
She's apparently decided she won't run for re-election.
I guess that former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory had better send someone to Raleigh to start measuring for new drapes in the Governor's Mansion.
I guess that former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory had better send someone to Raleigh to start measuring for new drapes in the Governor's Mansion.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
I Am Running Out of Constituents
Update to this post.
Down in Spartanburg, SC, the city's only Democrat on the County Council wants the County Sheriff to stop advising law-abiding citizens to acquire concealed weapons permits.
Spartanburg County Council's lone Democrat wants Sheriff Chuck Wright to stop encouraging residents to obtain concealed weapons permits. Councilman Michael Brown says his constituents believe the statements promote an environment of lawlessness in the community.
“I think it's irresponsible, irreprehensible and of course incendiary if you keep on making these types of comments,” Councilman Michael Brown said during a portion of Monday evening's council meeting devoted to honoring a local group's efforts to mentor at-risk youth.
Wright, who did not attend the council meeting, said Tuesday that he's always insisted the use of weapons should be a last resort.
Brown, [who is black - - ed.] with about three dozen young members of the group Black Boys of Distinction gathered at the front of council chambers on Monday, said community leaders should be focused on spending time with at-risk youth in the community rather than encouraging residents to obtain weapons permits.
“I would say to continue to advocate for the instrumentalities of violence is contrary to a large group of people in this community,” Brown said during Monday's meeting. “The fact that you see me standing up here, I represent that segment of this community, the community that often times you will find yourself dealing with in a negative manner.”
Down in Spartanburg, SC, the city's only Democrat on the County Council wants the County Sheriff to stop advising law-abiding citizens to acquire concealed weapons permits.
Spartanburg County Council's lone Democrat wants Sheriff Chuck Wright to stop encouraging residents to obtain concealed weapons permits. Councilman Michael Brown says his constituents believe the statements promote an environment of lawlessness in the community.
“I think it's irresponsible, irreprehensible and of course incendiary if you keep on making these types of comments,” Councilman Michael Brown said during a portion of Monday evening's council meeting devoted to honoring a local group's efforts to mentor at-risk youth.
Wright, who did not attend the council meeting, said Tuesday that he's always insisted the use of weapons should be a last resort.
Brown, [who is black - - ed.] with about three dozen young members of the group Black Boys of Distinction gathered at the front of council chambers on Monday, said community leaders should be focused on spending time with at-risk youth in the community rather than encouraging residents to obtain weapons permits.
“I would say to continue to advocate for the instrumentalities of violence is contrary to a large group of people in this community,” Brown said during Monday's meeting. “The fact that you see me standing up here, I represent that segment of this community, the community that often times you will find yourself dealing with in a negative manner.”
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
What Sort of "Exhaustion" Was She Taking?
Celebrity cougar Demi Moore rushed to the hospital for substance abuse.
Demi's rep tells TMZ, "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."
Demi's rep tells TMZ, "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends."
Leave Them Flytraps Alone!
A family of Venus Flytrap poachers has been arrested in Brunswick County, NC.
Three people from Shallotte were arrested on charges of poaching Venus flytraps from a nature conservancy in Brunswick County as authorities found 200 of these rare plants pulled from the ground Monday.
The accused poachers were arrested Monday after staff from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources notified the Nature Conservancy’s Wilmington office about suspicious behavior in the Green Swamp Preserve, one of the last bastions of naturally-growing Venus flytraps worldwide.
They only grow in the coastal plain of NC and SC. Only place in the entire world.
I remember giving a book report on insectivorous plants back in 5th grade in Catholic school. Had to get up in front of the class to deliver it, and I was so enthusiastic about the subject that the teacher called the principal, Sister Trinita, to hear me give the lecture over again.
Three people from Shallotte were arrested on charges of poaching Venus flytraps from a nature conservancy in Brunswick County as authorities found 200 of these rare plants pulled from the ground Monday.
The accused poachers were arrested Monday after staff from the N.C. Division of Forest Resources notified the Nature Conservancy’s Wilmington office about suspicious behavior in the Green Swamp Preserve, one of the last bastions of naturally-growing Venus flytraps worldwide.
They only grow in the coastal plain of NC and SC. Only place in the entire world.
I remember giving a book report on insectivorous plants back in 5th grade in Catholic school. Had to get up in front of the class to deliver it, and I was so enthusiastic about the subject that the teacher called the principal, Sister Trinita, to hear me give the lecture over again.
In North Charleston, Babies Shit Heroin
"North Charleston police find heroin in dirty diaper."
A North Charleston patrol officer arrested a 32-year-old father Monday night after uncovering more than 3 ounces of heroin in his infant’s soiled diaper.
That's the ghetto version of the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg.
A North Charleston patrol officer arrested a 32-year-old father Monday night after uncovering more than 3 ounces of heroin in his infant’s soiled diaper.
That's the ghetto version of the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg.
NHL - - And I'm Not Referring To Hockey
Studies have shown that most of the people that are licensed to carry concealed weapons are middle-aged, male, and white.
Studies have also shown that a disproportionate number of violent street crimes such as robberies, rapes and assaults are committed by young black men.
Similarly, the recent phenomenon of criminal "flash crowds" that engage in thefts from stores or beatings of victims of opportunity are also committed mainly by black young people.
Thus, as encounters between the white gun owners and the black lawbreakers increase in number, the concealed carry license will more and more come to be seen as a de facto n*gger-hunting license, at which point the NAACP, ACLU and the usual race baiters will step in and start legal proceedings to stop the disproportionate killing of young blacks by whites.
Thus spake Nostrabobus on 24 January, 2012.
Studies have also shown that a disproportionate number of violent street crimes such as robberies, rapes and assaults are committed by young black men.
Similarly, the recent phenomenon of criminal "flash crowds" that engage in thefts from stores or beatings of victims of opportunity are also committed mainly by black young people.
Thus, as encounters between the white gun owners and the black lawbreakers increase in number, the concealed carry license will more and more come to be seen as a de facto n*gger-hunting license, at which point the NAACP, ACLU and the usual race baiters will step in and start legal proceedings to stop the disproportionate killing of young blacks by whites.
Thus spake Nostrabobus on 24 January, 2012.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Note In Passing
Re: the prospect of voting for Newt Gingrich:
If it comes down to Gingrich winning the GOP nomination, it'll be a lot like having to vote for Nixon in '68 or '72. You know it's your civic duty to do it, but damn, you just want to have yourself disinfected afterward.
(Bear in mind that I'm supporting Ron Paul for President).
If it comes down to Gingrich winning the GOP nomination, it'll be a lot like having to vote for Nixon in '68 or '72. You know it's your civic duty to do it, but damn, you just want to have yourself disinfected afterward.
(Bear in mind that I'm supporting Ron Paul for President).
"By Law and By the Constitution"
A Usual Suspect® got his ass blown away when he and a buddy tried to rob a Waffle House in Spartanburg, SC:
According to an incident report, two armed men entered the restaurant and tried to rob it. A customer in the Waffle House, who is a concealed weapon permit holder, was also armed with a handgun and attempted to hold the suspects at gunpoint until law enforcement could arrive, deputies said.
Deputies said one of the robbery suspects pointed his gun at the customer, and the customer then shot the man, who died on the scene.
"The gentlemen said it scared him. He thought he was gonna die, so he shot the armed robbery suspect," said Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright.
The incident follows Wright's recent encouragement to citizens to get concealed weapons permits and to arm themselves against criminals.
"This guy defended his life and the life of others at the Waffle House by law and by the Constitution. We will not be charging this gentleman," Wright said.
So there ya go. We're often told by the Brady Bunch and other gun-haters that this scenario is so unlikely to happen that it doesn't justify people being allowed to carry firearms. Well, the reason it's so unlikely is because it was illegal for so long that people got out of the habit of self-reliance in those situations. As more and more CCW's are issued, the more often this scenario will repeat.
Double-tapped his sorry ass, too. One in the chest, one in the head. There'll be wailin' and cryin' at the A.M.E. Zion, I can tell you that.
update: The other robber has been caught.
h/t Cedar Posts & Barbwire Fences.
According to an incident report, two armed men entered the restaurant and tried to rob it. A customer in the Waffle House, who is a concealed weapon permit holder, was also armed with a handgun and attempted to hold the suspects at gunpoint until law enforcement could arrive, deputies said.
Deputies said one of the robbery suspects pointed his gun at the customer, and the customer then shot the man, who died on the scene.
"The gentlemen said it scared him. He thought he was gonna die, so he shot the armed robbery suspect," said Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright.
The incident follows Wright's recent encouragement to citizens to get concealed weapons permits and to arm themselves against criminals.
"This guy defended his life and the life of others at the Waffle House by law and by the Constitution. We will not be charging this gentleman," Wright said.
So there ya go. We're often told by the Brady Bunch and other gun-haters that this scenario is so unlikely to happen that it doesn't justify people being allowed to carry firearms. Well, the reason it's so unlikely is because it was illegal for so long that people got out of the habit of self-reliance in those situations. As more and more CCW's are issued, the more often this scenario will repeat.
Double-tapped his sorry ass, too. One in the chest, one in the head. There'll be wailin' and cryin' at the A.M.E. Zion, I can tell you that.
update: The other robber has been caught.
h/t Cedar Posts & Barbwire Fences.
Nunya
To Protect and Serve.
The public isn't best served when police refuse to release information on crimes.
The public isn't best served when police refuse to release information on crimes.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Hey, Cletus, I Got Me An Idea...
...How 'bout we see if we can cross that 6th Street railroad bridge in the truck?
How'd that work out? Not too good:
How'd that work out? Not too good:
Quote of the Day
...The worst oppression is condoned if it is committed in the name of socialism. Intolerance of opposing ideas is openly extolled; The tragedy of collectivist thought is that, while it starts out to make reason supreme, it ends by destroying reason. There is one aspect of the change in moral values brought about by the advance of collectivism which provides special food for thought. It is that the virtues which are held less and less in esteem in Britain and America are precisely those on which Anglo-Saxons justly prided themselves and in which they were generally recognized to excel. These virtues were independence and self-reliance, individual initiative and local responsibility, the successful reliance on voluntary activity, noninterference with one's neighbor and tolerance of the different, and a healthy suspicion of power and authority. Almost all the traditions and institutions which have molded the national character and the whole moral climate of England and America are those which the progress of collectivism and its centralistic tendencies are progressively destroying. - - From Why the Worst Get On Top, by F.A. Hayek.
via Amy Alkon.
via Amy Alkon.
Friday, January 20, 2012
That Hipster, Buddy Holly Vibe
The US Military is getting rid of the "birth control glasses" or "BDC" eyewear issued to recruits in boot camp.
I'm glad. My first military ID card featured them. I had to keep that hideous ID card with its image of a young, shaven-headed, moon-faced Bob peering nearsightedly through those black specs until I made E4.
Here's what the new boots will get:
Here's the funny paragraph I quoted in the post title:
The glasses, with a hipster, Buddy Holly vibe, will soon be the rage on recruits’ faces in Great Lakes, Ill., Parris Island, S.C., Fort Sill, Okla., Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and elsewhere.
I wonder if they'll be called HBHV's by the recruits?
I'm glad. My first military ID card featured them. I had to keep that hideous ID card with its image of a young, shaven-headed, moon-faced Bob peering nearsightedly through those black specs until I made E4.
Here's what the new boots will get:
Here's the funny paragraph I quoted in the post title:
The glasses, with a hipster, Buddy Holly vibe, will soon be the rage on recruits’ faces in Great Lakes, Ill., Parris Island, S.C., Fort Sill, Okla., Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and elsewhere.
I wonder if they'll be called HBHV's by the recruits?
Random Reflection
I just visited the Smith & Wesson website for the first time in a long time, and noticed that, in most of the photos of revolvers, the right side of the revolver is shown, with the barrel pointing to the right. I wonder if that's to avoid showing that stupid hole made by the nanny state internal lock mechanism? I seem to recall that Smith & Wesson used to always photograph their revolvers with the left side facing forward, so you could see the cylinder release and crane mechanism.
I guess that S&W must be unhappy with showing those internal locks, since they have been directly responsible for the boom in used S&W revolvers without them.
I guess that S&W must be unhappy with showing those internal locks, since they have been directly responsible for the boom in used S&W revolvers without them.
Fast & Furious: Top DOJ Official To Plead the Fifth
Story.
A top official at the Department of Justice has decided to assert his Fifth amendment right not to testify after being subpoenaed by House investigators in the probe into Fast and Furious, the program under which the Obama administration knowingly allowed thousands of guns to flow into Mexico, where they wound up in the hands of Mexican drug lords. At least two of the guns turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. border agent.
In connection with its probe, the House Oversight and Government Reform committee had subpoenaed Patrick Cunningham, the chief of the criminal division in the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office, which was involved with the program. But this morning committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., announced Cunningham had informed the committee of his intention to assert his Fifth amendment right.
Issa released the following statement:
“The assertion of the fifth amendment by a senior Justice official is a significant indictment of the Department’s integrity in Operation Fast and Furious. The former head of the ATF has previously told the committee that the Justice Department is managing its response to Operation Fast and Furious in a manner designed to protect its political appointees. This is the first time anyone has asserted their fifth amendment right in this investigation and heightens concerns that the Justice Department’s motivation for refusing to hand over subpoenaed materials is a desire to shield responsible officials from criminal charges and other embarrassment.
From the most open and honest administration ever...
A top official at the Department of Justice has decided to assert his Fifth amendment right not to testify after being subpoenaed by House investigators in the probe into Fast and Furious, the program under which the Obama administration knowingly allowed thousands of guns to flow into Mexico, where they wound up in the hands of Mexican drug lords. At least two of the guns turned up at the murder scene of a U.S. border agent.
In connection with its probe, the House Oversight and Government Reform committee had subpoenaed Patrick Cunningham, the chief of the criminal division in the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office, which was involved with the program. But this morning committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., announced Cunningham had informed the committee of his intention to assert his Fifth amendment right.
Issa released the following statement:
“The assertion of the fifth amendment by a senior Justice official is a significant indictment of the Department’s integrity in Operation Fast and Furious. The former head of the ATF has previously told the committee that the Justice Department is managing its response to Operation Fast and Furious in a manner designed to protect its political appointees. This is the first time anyone has asserted their fifth amendment right in this investigation and heightens concerns that the Justice Department’s motivation for refusing to hand over subpoenaed materials is a desire to shield responsible officials from criminal charges and other embarrassment.
From the most open and honest administration ever...
NPR Talks BBQ
4,258 Miles Of Meat: Chef, Dad On A Quest For BBQ.
Until this fall, chef Molly Baz was working at an upscale Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. But she decided to give that up to go on a road trip.
Molly wanted to learn everything she could about variations in American barbecue, so she planned a tour of the country's most renowned barbecue regions and invited her father, photographer Doug Baz, along for the ride. The pair documented their travels on their blog, Adventures in BBQ.
Click the link to read the whole thing. I'll be looking at their blog as well, probably.
h/t BBQ Jew.
Until this fall, chef Molly Baz was working at an upscale Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. But she decided to give that up to go on a road trip.
Molly wanted to learn everything she could about variations in American barbecue, so she planned a tour of the country's most renowned barbecue regions and invited her father, photographer Doug Baz, along for the ride. The pair documented their travels on their blog, Adventures in BBQ.
Click the link to read the whole thing. I'll be looking at their blog as well, probably.
h/t BBQ Jew.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
I Rather Imagine...
...that this video will be making the rounds of the conservative blogs for the next few days:
h/t Cassy Chesser.
h/t Cassy Chesser.
A Sad Bit of News
Jerry Klein has esophageal cancer, non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, and his wife recently passed away.
Jerry made Charlotte his home for many years. An unabashed knee-jerk liberal, he has been a columnist for the local weekly alternative newspaper, a radio talk host, and a concert promoter. He had little or no respect for any non-liberal viewpoint, and wasn't hesitant at all to tell you so. An old hippie and a true culture warrior, when he wasn't talking politics he could be interesting and even friendly. But damn, if you wanted an argument, all you had to to was bring up politics and Jerry was ready to argue.
Looks like there's a benefit concert being given in his name to raise money for his treatment. It's the same cancer that recently killed Christopher Hitchens.
Best wishes to Jerry in his struggle, hopefully he'll be free of pain and discomfort.
Jerry made Charlotte his home for many years. An unabashed knee-jerk liberal, he has been a columnist for the local weekly alternative newspaper, a radio talk host, and a concert promoter. He had little or no respect for any non-liberal viewpoint, and wasn't hesitant at all to tell you so. An old hippie and a true culture warrior, when he wasn't talking politics he could be interesting and even friendly. But damn, if you wanted an argument, all you had to to was bring up politics and Jerry was ready to argue.
Looks like there's a benefit concert being given in his name to raise money for his treatment. It's the same cancer that recently killed Christopher Hitchens.
Best wishes to Jerry in his struggle, hopefully he'll be free of pain and discomfort.
Once Upon a Time...
...today would have been Poe Toaster Day. It remains Poe's birthday, of course, but isn't the same without the Toaster around to remind us of it. Maybe he'll be back this year. One can hope.
Update: An article mentions that they're waiting and hoping.
update 2: Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." Apparently it's over. The 2nd generation Toaster proved too lazy to continue the tradition.
Kind of a comment on the contemporary US, isn't it?
Update: An article mentions that they're waiting and hoping.
update 2: Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." Apparently it's over. The 2nd generation Toaster proved too lazy to continue the tradition.
Kind of a comment on the contemporary US, isn't it?
Courage and Cowardice
Been thinking about Francesco Schettino and his apparent cowardice in abandoning his ship and the passengers that desperately needed his guidance.
I contrast that with another captain, Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot in charge of the airplane in "The Miracle on the Hudson."
I'm tempted to snark on Schettino and say that is how Italians behaved ever since WWII, but then I think of Fabrizio Quattrocchi and know that isn't true at all, it's just true of Schettino.
And, thinking on Schettino's act of cowardice, I realize that it's familiar to me.
Nothing new under the sun. Hopefully Schettino will one day be able to redeem himself, but I foresee some prison time in his immediate future.
I contrast that with another captain, Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot in charge of the airplane in "The Miracle on the Hudson."
I'm tempted to snark on Schettino and say that is how Italians behaved ever since WWII, but then I think of Fabrizio Quattrocchi and know that isn't true at all, it's just true of Schettino.
And, thinking on Schettino's act of cowardice, I realize that it's familiar to me.
Nothing new under the sun. Hopefully Schettino will one day be able to redeem himself, but I foresee some prison time in his immediate future.
Well Put!
Found this on OK Cupid:
A Quick Bible Lesson...in the Bible, Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on MY Boaz, I won't settle for ANY of his relatives: Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Downlowaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz or Marriedaz! And especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz. I will wait on my Boaz & make sure he respects Myaz!
(found on a white girl's profile, but reads like it originally came from a black girl's profile.)
A Quick Bible Lesson...in the Bible, Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on MY Boaz, I won't settle for ANY of his relatives: Brokeaz, Poaz, Lyinaz, Cheatinaz, Dumbaz, Downlowaz, Cheapaz, Lockedupaz, Goodfornothinaz, Lazyaz or Marriedaz! And especially his third cousin Beatinyoaz. I will wait on my Boaz & make sure he respects Myaz!
(found on a white girl's profile, but reads like it originally came from a black girl's profile.)
One of Them Assault Microbes
In Sharon, Pennsylvania, a robbery suspect used the threat of disease to try to get a cashier to hand over money.
Online court records don't list an attorney for 41-year-old Fred Parker, of Coolspring Township.
Police say he walked into Lucky's Internet Cafe in Sharon on Monday night and began touching the walls and gambling machines, claiming he has MRSA - a serious staph infection that resists antibiotics.
Sharon police Chief Mike Menster says Parker then threatened to infect the cashier if he didn't give Parker money. The chief tells The Herald newspaper of Sharon, "It's our first case of robbery by threat of an infectious disease."
I have sad memories of MRSA, because it led to my mother's premature death last year of pneumonia.
Online court records don't list an attorney for 41-year-old Fred Parker, of Coolspring Township.
Police say he walked into Lucky's Internet Cafe in Sharon on Monday night and began touching the walls and gambling machines, claiming he has MRSA - a serious staph infection that resists antibiotics.
Sharon police Chief Mike Menster says Parker then threatened to infect the cashier if he didn't give Parker money. The chief tells The Herald newspaper of Sharon, "It's our first case of robbery by threat of an infectious disease."
I have sad memories of MRSA, because it led to my mother's premature death last year of pneumonia.
Lookit All Those Teeth! It's Either Giada de Laurentiis...
...or a possum.
I've made this comparison before, but for those who don't remember, here is Giada de Laurentiis:
And here is a possum:
I've made this comparison before, but for those who don't remember, here is Giada de Laurentiis:
And here is a possum:
Transparent Aluminum!
Once again, life imitates Star Trek.
In a remarkable case of science fiction becoming science fact, it seems scientists have been able to invent transparent aluminium.
The fantastically strong material was mentioned in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home by Enterprise engineer Mr Scott.
With the crew of the Enterprise stuck in the 20th century, Scotty barters his knowledge of 24th century technology with an engineer in exchange for having a tank built.
It appears that now that the future has arrived. Sort of.
I wonder if you can make guns out of the stuff?
In a remarkable case of science fiction becoming science fact, it seems scientists have been able to invent transparent aluminium.
The fantastically strong material was mentioned in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home by Enterprise engineer Mr Scott.
With the crew of the Enterprise stuck in the 20th century, Scotty barters his knowledge of 24th century technology with an engineer in exchange for having a tank built.
It appears that now that the future has arrived. Sort of.
I wonder if you can make guns out of the stuff?
You Keep Saying That Word...
...I do not think it means what you think it means.
Harbour master Gregorio De Falco - the man who told the cowardly Costa Concordia captain to 'Get Back on Board for xxxx's sake' - today woke up to find himself a national hero.
Headlines in Italian newspapers roared 'De Falco Idol' and 'Thank you Captain' as De Falco tried to play down the infamous four minute recording berating Francesco Schettino.
T-shirts with the phrase in Italian 'Vada a Bordo, Cazzo' (Get on board, damn it) were being snapped up for £12 after an enterprising online clothing store advertised them on the web.
Cazzo is not Italian for "damn it." It's the Italian word for a man's sexual organ, so a more literal translation would be, "Get back on board, you prick."
I guess the spirit of Thomas Bowdler is alive and well at The Daily Mail.
Here's a screen grab of the story, in case the newspaper changes it:
Harbour master Gregorio De Falco - the man who told the cowardly Costa Concordia captain to 'Get Back on Board for xxxx's sake' - today woke up to find himself a national hero.
Headlines in Italian newspapers roared 'De Falco Idol' and 'Thank you Captain' as De Falco tried to play down the infamous four minute recording berating Francesco Schettino.
T-shirts with the phrase in Italian 'Vada a Bordo, Cazzo' (Get on board, damn it) were being snapped up for £12 after an enterprising online clothing store advertised them on the web.
Cazzo is not Italian for "damn it." It's the Italian word for a man's sexual organ, so a more literal translation would be, "Get back on board, you prick."
I guess the spirit of Thomas Bowdler is alive and well at The Daily Mail.
Here's a screen grab of the story, in case the newspaper changes it:
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Seems To Me She Predicted...
That she'd still be Speaker right about now.
How'd that work out for you, Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants?
How'd that work out for you, Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants?
OK, Tax Returns Filed
Got my W2's when I got to work last night, and just finished e-filing with TurboTax for the third year. Didn't have to pay a cent to file, either federal or state. Getting a big refund for the first time in years, which is a good thing. I'm satisfied.
Anthropological Notes From a Hotel, Part 1
The hotel offers a bagged breakfast for those guests who check out and depart before the regular breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m. The bag includes a bottle of water, a piece of fruit, a breakfast bar, a piece of hard candy, and a paper napkin.
We have a regular guest, a long-haul trucker, who stays a couple of times a week. He likes to avail himself of the bagged breakfast option, since he typically leaves at 4:30 a.m. Most of the time I'm back in the office doing paperwork when he departs, and he grabs two of the bags. On two different occasions, though, I've been out at the front desk when he departed, and those two occasions he only grabbed one bag.
Interesting how behavior changes when you are, or think you are, being observed, huh?
We have a regular guest, a long-haul trucker, who stays a couple of times a week. He likes to avail himself of the bagged breakfast option, since he typically leaves at 4:30 a.m. Most of the time I'm back in the office doing paperwork when he departs, and he grabs two of the bags. On two different occasions, though, I've been out at the front desk when he departed, and those two occasions he only grabbed one bag.
Interesting how behavior changes when you are, or think you are, being observed, huh?
Monday, January 16, 2012
Gang Aft Agley
Well, my plan to be out of town during the week of the Democrat National Convention here in Charlotte has been shot down by management, there was a memo on the bulletin board at work last night that the week of the convention was off limits to vacation and time off requests.
So, stuck in a hotel full of Democrats in September. Not my idea of a fun time.
So, stuck in a hotel full of Democrats in September. Not my idea of a fun time.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Is Romney As Anti-Gun As He's Made Out To Be?
Bitter over at the Shall Not Be Questioned blog looks at the record.
And concludes that things weren't as bad under Romney as they might have been.
And that a President Romney would be more friendly to gun rights than Barack "Fast and Furious" Obama has been.
And concludes that things weren't as bad under Romney as they might have been.
And that a President Romney would be more friendly to gun rights than Barack "Fast and Furious" Obama has been.
From Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Legged Beasties...
...and things that go bump in the night,
O Lord protect us. - - (Old prayer of unknown heritage. Some say Scottish, some say Cornish)
And how about adding a line to it about zombie ants?
Dead Zombie Ant With Fungus Growing From Head
A paper in the journal BMC Ecology, published on May 9, 2011, describes the parasitism by a fungus on the tropical carpenter ant in Thailand. It’s a macabre description of how the ant is invaded by the fungus, which takes over its body, commands it to perform actions to ensure the survival and growth of the fungus, then uses its dead body to grow a stalk with spores that are ejected into the surrounding area, ready to infect other passing ants.
Oh, damn, that's the stuff of nightmares, that is. And you can bet that Hollywood screenwriters are looking at that gruesome photo right now and firing up their Macs to write proposals based on it.
h/t Radley Balko.
O Lord protect us. - - (Old prayer of unknown heritage. Some say Scottish, some say Cornish)
And how about adding a line to it about zombie ants?
A paper in the journal BMC Ecology, published on May 9, 2011, describes the parasitism by a fungus on the tropical carpenter ant in Thailand. It’s a macabre description of how the ant is invaded by the fungus, which takes over its body, commands it to perform actions to ensure the survival and growth of the fungus, then uses its dead body to grow a stalk with spores that are ejected into the surrounding area, ready to infect other passing ants.
Oh, damn, that's the stuff of nightmares, that is. And you can bet that Hollywood screenwriters are looking at that gruesome photo right now and firing up their Macs to write proposals based on it.
h/t Radley Balko.
Meanwhile, In Texas City, Texas...
...a 15-year-old girl armed with a handgun chased off two burglars that were ransacking her house:
A 15-year-old-girl turned the tables on a pair of intruders early Saturday afternoon.
At 12:52 p.m., Texas City police received a call from the girl saying there was somebody trying to get into her house in the 7300 block of Meadowlark.
“She was home by herself in the bathroom and when she called — she was hysterical,” police Capt. Brian Goetschius said.
The teen said she heard the front door jiggle and when she looked out, she saw two men standing there, Goetschius said.
The girl called her father, her aunt and the police. Then she got her father’s handgun and went outside, Goetschius said.
One of the men had gone into the garage and was attempting to steal a pickup. The girl did not know where the other one was.
She confronted the man in the garage and he ran away, heading east on Meadowlark. He was followed by his accomplice, who had been inside, searching the house, Goetschius said.
“It had been ransacked,” the captain said.
Click to read the rest. If the Brady Campaign To End HandgunOwnership Violence had its way, the little girl would probably have been discovered by the two burglars, and quite possibly raped or even killed. And that would have been fine with the Bradies, as long as the victim wasn't allowed to own one of those evil guns. It's amazing, too, that it wasn't taken away from her and used against her, that's what the anti-gun people always say happens. It's also amazing she's still alive with a gun in the house at all, because to listen to the hoplophobes a gun in the house almost invariably leads to a "tragic accident."
A 15-year-old-girl turned the tables on a pair of intruders early Saturday afternoon.
At 12:52 p.m., Texas City police received a call from the girl saying there was somebody trying to get into her house in the 7300 block of Meadowlark.
“She was home by herself in the bathroom and when she called — she was hysterical,” police Capt. Brian Goetschius said.
The teen said she heard the front door jiggle and when she looked out, she saw two men standing there, Goetschius said.
The girl called her father, her aunt and the police. Then she got her father’s handgun and went outside, Goetschius said.
One of the men had gone into the garage and was attempting to steal a pickup. The girl did not know where the other one was.
She confronted the man in the garage and he ran away, heading east on Meadowlark. He was followed by his accomplice, who had been inside, searching the house, Goetschius said.
“It had been ransacked,” the captain said.
Click to read the rest. If the Brady Campaign To End Handgun
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Proper Response...
...to the Taliban Tinklers, from Congressman Allen West, (R-FL):
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
It should be pointed out that West was a Lt. Colonel in the US Army and served in Iraq, so his viewpoint is more informed that of most members of Congress.
“The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.”
It should be pointed out that West was a Lt. Colonel in the US Army and served in Iraq, so his viewpoint is more informed that of most members of Congress.
Note In Passing
Seems to be a lot of urine-oriented content on the blog today.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take a bio break...
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take a bio break...
Damn, Radioactive Piss?
From the Raleigh, North Carolina, News and Observer, comes today's scary headline:
"Urination video prompts fear of fallout."
What are they feeding these Marines these days? Back when I served in the Navy, all we had to worry about was was the proverbial saltpeter.
"Urination video prompts fear of fallout."
What are they feeding these Marines these days? Back when I served in the Navy, all we had to worry about was was the proverbial saltpeter.
Poll of the Day
A tale of military incontinence. On the one side, we have US Army PFC Bradley Manning, who leaked thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. On the other side, we have US Marines who urinated on the bodies of dead Taliban.
Your task in this poll is to predict which will receive the more dire punishment by the US military: Manning, or the Marines?
Your task in this poll is to predict which will receive the more dire punishment by the US military: Manning, or the Marines?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
That's One Hell of a Promotion On Cheerios' Part
"Cops say they found handgun, marijuana in box of Cheerios."
That's even better than Cracker Jack used to do.
That's even better than Cracker Jack used to do.
Meanwhile, Down In Charleston...
...conservators removed a truss from the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.
The article doesn't really explain what the truss was used for, but I'd guess that it held the boat immobile so that it wouldn't break apart. If I'm wrong, someone please let me know.
With the truss gone, treatment of the boat's hull to keep it from further deterioration will now proceed.
Here's a pic; the boat is in pretty good shape, considering it was on the bottom of Charleston harbor for over 100 years:
The article doesn't really explain what the truss was used for, but I'd guess that it held the boat immobile so that it wouldn't break apart. If I'm wrong, someone please let me know.
With the truss gone, treatment of the boat's hull to keep it from further deterioration will now proceed.
Here's a pic; the boat is in pretty good shape, considering it was on the bottom of Charleston harbor for over 100 years:
Can't Be Filming It, Lads
If it's true that US Marines urinated on the bodies of dead Taliban, then it's regrettable and the offenders should probably be punished, but in point of fact it's not the first time Americans have pissed on the body of a dead enemy:
Meanwhile, Pattie won numerous people over to the Loyal cause. On 24 September, 500 men came in. He and his troops left Gilbert Town on 27 September. He learned of the large Rebel advance from deserters from Sevier. Pattie wrote to Cornwallis, then in Charlotte, and to Cruger at Ninety-Six for support. Cruger could spare none, and advised retreat. On 1 October, at Denard's Ford, Pattie wrote to Cornwallis that more Rebels were mustering. He reported that two old men - survivors of a party of 4 - had just been brought into camp "most barbarously maimd by a Party of Clevelands Men". The incident angered him: he used it in an impassioned proclamation that day to rally the Loyalists:
Gentlemen: Unless you wish to be eat up by an inundation of barbarians, who have begun by murdering an unarmed son before the aged father, and afterwards lopped off his arms, and who by their shocking cruelties and irregularities, give the best proof of their cowardice and want of discipline; I say, if you wish to be pinioned, robbed, and murdered, and see your wives and daughters, in four days, abused by the dregs of mankind - in short, if you wish or deserve to live, and bear the name of men, grasp your arms in a moment and run to camp.
The Back Water men have crossed the mountains; McDowell, Hampton, Shelby and Cleveland are at their head, so that you know what you have to depend upon. If you choose to be pissed upon forever and ever by a set of mongrels, say so at once and let your women turn their backs upon you, and look out for real men to protect them.
(Keep those words in mind)
Husbands was killed outright, Plummer badly wounded. Pattie himself was a conspicuous target, with his sword in his left hand, his bent-up right arm, and a checked duster-shirt protecting his uniform. A massive volley blasted him from the saddle. About a dozen balls shattered his body. His foot caught in the stirrup of his horse as he fell, and he was dragged along the ground. He died within minutes, in the arms of his friends. Jubilant Rebels stripped and urinated on his corpse, before his orderly Elias Powell and other companions were allowed to bathe and shroud him in a raw beef-hide.(¡Grande hazanas - Con muertos! to quote Goya in a later war...) He was buried in a shallow grave, beside poor Sal, from whose corpse a Rebel took a necklace of glass beads. Poll was taken prisoner, but released at Moravian Towns and returned to the army in Charlotte, where she apparently found a new protector.
"Don't kill any more! It's murder!" the Rebels' nominal commander, William Campbell protested as, with cries of "Give them Buford's play!" and "Tarleton's Quarter!", they ignored the Loyalists' white flags. Only with great difficulty did he prevent a wholesale massacre. Rebel casualties were 28 dead and 64 wounded, but 157 Loyalists were killed, and 163 so seriously hurt that they were abandoned on the mountain. Some were rescued by local Loyalists, and nursed back to health. Others were less fortunate: for weeks afterwards, turkey-buzzards, wolves and hogs fattened themselves on human carrion.
That was the Battle of King's Mountain, a battle of the American Revolution, fought on the border of North and South Carolina in 1780. It was the turning point of the Revolution in the southern colonies, and the first of the victories that led to Yorktown. "Pattie" is Major Patrick Ferguson, a Scotsman who was an officer in the British Army, who was leading American troops loyal to the Crown. On the other side were the "Overmountain Men," Indian fighters and frontiersman from what is now Tennessee.
While there are many accounts of the King's Mountain battle, not all of them mention that Ferguson's body was urinated on, and fewer still mention the letter quoted above that so provoked the Overmountain Men to treat Ferguson's corpse in such a manner. But the war in the South was fought mainly between Americans, a savage war of hatred that pitted neighbor against neighbor and in which atrocities were committed by both sides.
And that's the reality of war. Down through the centuries we've tried to clean it up and stop atrocities, with various treaties (Geneva Convention, etc.) to provide guidelines, but the sorry fact is that, since the end of WWII, none of the enemies that the US has met in battle has played by those rules, and American military men and women have been subject to torture and other atrocities. So it is in Afghanistan. Every warrior fighting against the Taliban knows that to be captured alive by them leads only to torture and beheading, so fighting to death is the common pattern. And if, after a battle, one or two of them breaks the rules and treats a Taliban like the Overmountain Men treated Ferguson, then if they're caught they have to be punished so as to preserve good order and discipline in the ranks; but don't pretend that they didn't have sufficient provocation for what they did, and try to show a little empathy for what you expect of them: they're humans just like you and me, not soulless battle robots.
Meanwhile, Pattie won numerous people over to the Loyal cause. On 24 September, 500 men came in. He and his troops left Gilbert Town on 27 September. He learned of the large Rebel advance from deserters from Sevier. Pattie wrote to Cornwallis, then in Charlotte, and to Cruger at Ninety-Six for support. Cruger could spare none, and advised retreat. On 1 October, at Denard's Ford, Pattie wrote to Cornwallis that more Rebels were mustering. He reported that two old men - survivors of a party of 4 - had just been brought into camp "most barbarously maimd by a Party of Clevelands Men". The incident angered him: he used it in an impassioned proclamation that day to rally the Loyalists:
Gentlemen: Unless you wish to be eat up by an inundation of barbarians, who have begun by murdering an unarmed son before the aged father, and afterwards lopped off his arms, and who by their shocking cruelties and irregularities, give the best proof of their cowardice and want of discipline; I say, if you wish to be pinioned, robbed, and murdered, and see your wives and daughters, in four days, abused by the dregs of mankind - in short, if you wish or deserve to live, and bear the name of men, grasp your arms in a moment and run to camp.
The Back Water men have crossed the mountains; McDowell, Hampton, Shelby and Cleveland are at their head, so that you know what you have to depend upon. If you choose to be pissed upon forever and ever by a set of mongrels, say so at once and let your women turn their backs upon you, and look out for real men to protect them.
(Keep those words in mind)
Husbands was killed outright, Plummer badly wounded. Pattie himself was a conspicuous target, with his sword in his left hand, his bent-up right arm, and a checked duster-shirt protecting his uniform. A massive volley blasted him from the saddle. About a dozen balls shattered his body. His foot caught in the stirrup of his horse as he fell, and he was dragged along the ground. He died within minutes, in the arms of his friends. Jubilant Rebels stripped and urinated on his corpse, before his orderly Elias Powell and other companions were allowed to bathe and shroud him in a raw beef-hide.(¡Grande hazanas - Con muertos! to quote Goya in a later war...) He was buried in a shallow grave, beside poor Sal, from whose corpse a Rebel took a necklace of glass beads. Poll was taken prisoner, but released at Moravian Towns and returned to the army in Charlotte, where she apparently found a new protector.
"Don't kill any more! It's murder!" the Rebels' nominal commander, William Campbell protested as, with cries of "Give them Buford's play!" and "Tarleton's Quarter!", they ignored the Loyalists' white flags. Only with great difficulty did he prevent a wholesale massacre. Rebel casualties were 28 dead and 64 wounded, but 157 Loyalists were killed, and 163 so seriously hurt that they were abandoned on the mountain. Some were rescued by local Loyalists, and nursed back to health. Others were less fortunate: for weeks afterwards, turkey-buzzards, wolves and hogs fattened themselves on human carrion.
That was the Battle of King's Mountain, a battle of the American Revolution, fought on the border of North and South Carolina in 1780. It was the turning point of the Revolution in the southern colonies, and the first of the victories that led to Yorktown. "Pattie" is Major Patrick Ferguson, a Scotsman who was an officer in the British Army, who was leading American troops loyal to the Crown. On the other side were the "Overmountain Men," Indian fighters and frontiersman from what is now Tennessee.
While there are many accounts of the King's Mountain battle, not all of them mention that Ferguson's body was urinated on, and fewer still mention the letter quoted above that so provoked the Overmountain Men to treat Ferguson's corpse in such a manner. But the war in the South was fought mainly between Americans, a savage war of hatred that pitted neighbor against neighbor and in which atrocities were committed by both sides.
And that's the reality of war. Down through the centuries we've tried to clean it up and stop atrocities, with various treaties (Geneva Convention, etc.) to provide guidelines, but the sorry fact is that, since the end of WWII, none of the enemies that the US has met in battle has played by those rules, and American military men and women have been subject to torture and other atrocities. So it is in Afghanistan. Every warrior fighting against the Taliban knows that to be captured alive by them leads only to torture and beheading, so fighting to death is the common pattern. And if, after a battle, one or two of them breaks the rules and treats a Taliban like the Overmountain Men treated Ferguson, then if they're caught they have to be punished so as to preserve good order and discipline in the ranks; but don't pretend that they didn't have sufficient provocation for what they did, and try to show a little empathy for what you expect of them: they're humans just like you and me, not soulless battle robots.
Holmgang!
Borepatch: In which I challenge Baldr Odinson to an Internet duel
Over at Borepatch's place (click the above link), Ted has challenged anti-gun internet troll "Baldr Odinson" (no links to nithings here) to a duel, or, as the ancient Norse called it, Holmgang. If Baldr refuses the challenge, he is declared nithing (man without honor) and also possibly ergi (butt-boy fairy). It should be interesting. I've never seen Ted get up on his hind legs like this.
*laughs*
Over at Borepatch's place (click the above link), Ted has challenged anti-gun internet troll "Baldr Odinson" (no links to nithings here) to a duel, or, as the ancient Norse called it, Holmgang. If Baldr refuses the challenge, he is declared nithing (man without honor) and also possibly ergi (butt-boy fairy). It should be interesting. I've never seen Ted get up on his hind legs like this.
*laughs*
A New York Philharmonic Conductor...
...stopped a performance because of an audience member's cell phone.
The performance was re-started after the audience member was asked to turn off the phone.
The performance was re-started after the audience member was asked to turn off the phone.
Damnit, Jim...
...I'm a desk clerk, not Johnny Appleseed.
I thought this, but didn't say it, when a guest approached the desk, helped himself to one of the complimentary apples, and said, "What's the matter with these apples? They're sort of funny-looking." Then, to prove that funny-looking apples didn't scare him, he took a huge bite out of it.
I wish I was a computer programmer so that I could develop a "Dr. McCoy Profession Generator" that, when you click a button, would generate a random exclamation based on "I'm a ________, not a _______.
I'm a cordwainer, not a haberdasher.
I'm a waitress, not a proctologist.
I'm a blacksmith, not a whitewasher.
And so on.
I thought this, but didn't say it, when a guest approached the desk, helped himself to one of the complimentary apples, and said, "What's the matter with these apples? They're sort of funny-looking." Then, to prove that funny-looking apples didn't scare him, he took a huge bite out of it.
I wish I was a computer programmer so that I could develop a "Dr. McCoy Profession Generator" that, when you click a button, would generate a random exclamation based on "I'm a ________, not a _______.
I'm a cordwainer, not a haberdasher.
I'm a waitress, not a proctologist.
I'm a blacksmith, not a whitewasher.
And so on.
New Snake Species Discovered.
The Matilda's Horned Viper, discovered in Tanzania.
It's a handsome snake:
Being a viper it's venomous, although the article doesn't say exactly how venomous. Being a new species the research into venom toxicity might not have been done yet. As the article states, though, bites from similar species aren't usually fatal.
h/t Mellow Jihadi.
It's a handsome snake:
Being a viper it's venomous, although the article doesn't say exactly how venomous. Being a new species the research into venom toxicity might not have been done yet. As the article states, though, bites from similar species aren't usually fatal.
h/t Mellow Jihadi.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Eric Holder & Company...
...finally get one right:
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has urged a federal court to side with a Howard County man in a lawsuit over his cellphone being seized by Baltimore police at the Preakness Stakes after he filmed officers making an arrest.
The federal attorneys say the lawsuit “presents constitutional questions of great moment in this digital age.” They asked U.S. District Judge Benson Everett Legg to rule that citizens have a right to record police officers and that officers who seize and destroy recordings without a warrant or due process are violating the Fourth and 14th Amendments.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which is representing the plaintiff, Christopher Sharp, said it believes this is the first time the Department of Justice has weighed in on the topic of recording police.
Holder must really be trying to make up for Fast & Furious. This will piss off cops and police departments all over the country.
h/t Radley Balko.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has urged a federal court to side with a Howard County man in a lawsuit over his cellphone being seized by Baltimore police at the Preakness Stakes after he filmed officers making an arrest.
The federal attorneys say the lawsuit “presents constitutional questions of great moment in this digital age.” They asked U.S. District Judge Benson Everett Legg to rule that citizens have a right to record police officers and that officers who seize and destroy recordings without a warrant or due process are violating the Fourth and 14th Amendments.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which is representing the plaintiff, Christopher Sharp, said it believes this is the first time the Department of Justice has weighed in on the topic of recording police.
Holder must really be trying to make up for Fast & Furious. This will piss off cops and police departments all over the country.
h/t Radley Balko.
Officer 'Roid Rage...
...has been fired.
A city police officer at the center of a controversial traffic stop involving a man with a permit to carry a concealed handgun has been fired.
Bill Adams, president of the Canton Police Patrolmen’s Association, the union that represents Patrolman Daniel Harless, confirmed that city Safety Director Thomas Ream ruled that Harless is no longer a member of the city’s police force.
Ream issued a three-page ruling dated Tuesday.
“It is quite clear that (Harless’) actions represented a pattern of behavior where inappropriate verbal abuse and threats of death or great bodily harm of the various complainants occurred,” Ream wrote.
“This escalating pattern of potentially dangerous behavior cannot be justified or excused and clearly illustrates the seriousness of the departmental infractions.”
Officer 'Roid Rage is appealing the decision, and his comrades on the Canton police force are still supporting him. He's now trying to claim that he's had PTSD for 8 years and that somehow, everyone failed to notice it:
Harless was placed on medical leave and other officers donated their sick days to him when his paid sick-leave time ran out.
The union had asked for an extension for the disciplinary hearing due to Harless being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Obviously, it’s an unfortunate set of circumstances that transpired,” Adams said. “We feel that due to the fact that (Harless) has PTSD, that nobody realized it for eight-plus years, for it to come to light the way it did ... this is not a way we wanted this to play out. PTSD is obviously a disease.”
Adams said that the incident that sparked the disease occurred in 2003 when a suspect nearly bit off Harless’ finger while trying to get the officer’s gun.
“It affects people in different ways. Unfortunately, (Harless) had PTSD, and it wasn’t realized for eight years. Unfortunately, he was fired, and we will address that situation at a later time.”
h/t Sean at An NC Gun Blog.
A city police officer at the center of a controversial traffic stop involving a man with a permit to carry a concealed handgun has been fired.
Bill Adams, president of the Canton Police Patrolmen’s Association, the union that represents Patrolman Daniel Harless, confirmed that city Safety Director Thomas Ream ruled that Harless is no longer a member of the city’s police force.
Ream issued a three-page ruling dated Tuesday.
“It is quite clear that (Harless’) actions represented a pattern of behavior where inappropriate verbal abuse and threats of death or great bodily harm of the various complainants occurred,” Ream wrote.
“This escalating pattern of potentially dangerous behavior cannot be justified or excused and clearly illustrates the seriousness of the departmental infractions.”
Officer 'Roid Rage is appealing the decision, and his comrades on the Canton police force are still supporting him. He's now trying to claim that he's had PTSD for 8 years and that somehow, everyone failed to notice it:
Harless was placed on medical leave and other officers donated their sick days to him when his paid sick-leave time ran out.
The union had asked for an extension for the disciplinary hearing due to Harless being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Obviously, it’s an unfortunate set of circumstances that transpired,” Adams said. “We feel that due to the fact that (Harless) has PTSD, that nobody realized it for eight-plus years, for it to come to light the way it did ... this is not a way we wanted this to play out. PTSD is obviously a disease.”
Adams said that the incident that sparked the disease occurred in 2003 when a suspect nearly bit off Harless’ finger while trying to get the officer’s gun.
“It affects people in different ways. Unfortunately, (Harless) had PTSD, and it wasn’t realized for eight years. Unfortunately, he was fired, and we will address that situation at a later time.”
h/t Sean at An NC Gun Blog.
The Dog Heard There Was Better Health Care In Cuba
Isn't that what Michael Moore says, that Cuban health care is superior that in the US?
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – A man kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico rescued an injured dog that was swimming offshore after fleeing when his owner was struck and killed by a car.
The bizarre and sad tale unfolded Saturday afternoon on Siesta Key, a bucolic island community about 40 miles south of St. Petersburg that boasts some of Florida's most beautiful white sand beaches.
I'd guess the dog ran into the water to try and ease its pain, and got caught in a current. Or perhaps it really was trying to get back to the Florida mainland. It's a tragic story, in any event.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – A man kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico rescued an injured dog that was swimming offshore after fleeing when his owner was struck and killed by a car.
The bizarre and sad tale unfolded Saturday afternoon on Siesta Key, a bucolic island community about 40 miles south of St. Petersburg that boasts some of Florida's most beautiful white sand beaches.
I'd guess the dog ran into the water to try and ease its pain, and got caught in a current. Or perhaps it really was trying to get back to the Florida mainland. It's a tragic story, in any event.
Granddaughter of the Year
"Prosecution: Grandmother killed for $250."
Testimony was expected to continue today. Smith [the accused] also was expected to testify when the defense presents its case.
Why on Earth would her defense attorney put her on the stand? What's she going to do, claim self-defense? Grandma came at her with an umbrella, maybe? Tried to run her over with her walker?
Testimony was expected to continue today. Smith [the accused] also was expected to testify when the defense presents its case.
Why on Earth would her defense attorney put her on the stand? What's she going to do, claim self-defense? Grandma came at her with an umbrella, maybe? Tried to run her over with her walker?
It's Never Labradors and Pomeranians
"Pit bull mauls man, teen at apartment."
And yes, I know the arguments about it being the owner's fault and not the dog's. It's just a matter of percentages and playing the odds, just like in Vegas. I might be savaged by a vicious cocker spaniel, but it ain't damned likely. And I'll cross the street if I'm approached by a group of young black men far more readily than I will for a group of young white women.
And yes, I know the arguments about it being the owner's fault and not the dog's. It's just a matter of percentages and playing the odds, just like in Vegas. I might be savaged by a vicious cocker spaniel, but it ain't damned likely. And I'll cross the street if I'm approached by a group of young black men far more readily than I will for a group of young white women.
Ron Paul, the Protest Candidate
Seems obvious that Ron Paul is benefiting from those voters who are too disgusted to vote for Romney. This might make for some interesting results down the pike; it is within the realm of possibility (but not probability, at this point) that Paul could either win the nomination outright or go into the convention with so many delegates that it would result in a brokered convention. Now that is not the most likely outcome, because too many people just don't believe that Ron Paul could possibly win the nomination. That sort of pessimism tends to be self-fulfilling.
Paul could go into the convention with enough delegates to demand concessions from Romney, however; maybe Treasury Secretary, where he would preside over the dismantling of the Fed. Or he might demand a role in the crafting of the Republican platform. He's too old for VP, really, Romney needs to pick a young man or woman for that position so as to assure an heir down the pike.
As for Romney himself, I'll reprint here what I wrote in a comment at Borepatch's place:
Romney, when it comes down to it, is a decent man, apparently has no skeletons in his closet, and is competent enough to make an effective president. The big point against him is the towering ambition that makes him want the job so much that he's willing to pander to nearly anyone in his quest to achieve it. If he had genuine conservative principles and subordinated his ambition to them, we'd be looking at another Reagan, or a man even better than Reagan, but that ambition is making him behave like a whore who worries that she won't have made enough money to satisfy her pimp. Ugly to see.
Paul could go into the convention with enough delegates to demand concessions from Romney, however; maybe Treasury Secretary, where he would preside over the dismantling of the Fed. Or he might demand a role in the crafting of the Republican platform. He's too old for VP, really, Romney needs to pick a young man or woman for that position so as to assure an heir down the pike.
As for Romney himself, I'll reprint here what I wrote in a comment at Borepatch's place:
Romney, when it comes down to it, is a decent man, apparently has no skeletons in his closet, and is competent enough to make an effective president. The big point against him is the towering ambition that makes him want the job so much that he's willing to pander to nearly anyone in his quest to achieve it. If he had genuine conservative principles and subordinated his ambition to them, we'd be looking at another Reagan, or a man even better than Reagan, but that ambition is making him behave like a whore who worries that she won't have made enough money to satisfy her pimp. Ugly to see.
The Swinish United States of America
via BBQ Jew, an 1884 map of the United States, showing some familiar, and some not so familiar, nicknames for the various states, with pig illustrations. The map is from a pork company.
(Click to embiggen)
My home state of Florida is known as "fly up the creek." What's yours? Are you familiar with the stranger names on the map?
(Click to embiggen)
My home state of Florida is known as "fly up the creek." What's yours? Are you familiar with the stranger names on the map?
Eagle Cam At Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, NC
Eagles in the process of hatching out some eaglets.
The nest isn't lighted, so seeing action is a daylight proposition only, I regret to say.
The action is taking place just west of Raleigh:
View Larger Map
I haven't seen the activity during the day yet, myself, so I hope that it's worth watching.
The nest isn't lighted, so seeing action is a daylight proposition only, I regret to say.
The action is taking place just west of Raleigh:
View Larger Map
I haven't seen the activity during the day yet, myself, so I hope that it's worth watching.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Now That's What I Call Screwing the Pooch
Literally:
FAYETTEVILLE -- A 33-year-old man is free on bond after being accused of having sex with a neighbor's dog.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office says Ray Lynn Mitcham Jr., who lives in the town of Linden, was arrested Monday and charged with a felony crime against nature. Authorities say the alleged incident happened Jan. 2.
The sheriff's office says the complaint was filed by the dog's owner, who is also Mitcham's landlord. She told deputies she went to Mitcham's resident early on the morning of Jan. 2 to speak with him. When she opened the door of his mobile home, she said, she witnessed the act.
FAYETTEVILLE -- A 33-year-old man is free on bond after being accused of having sex with a neighbor's dog.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office says Ray Lynn Mitcham Jr., who lives in the town of Linden, was arrested Monday and charged with a felony crime against nature. Authorities say the alleged incident happened Jan. 2.
The sheriff's office says the complaint was filed by the dog's owner, who is also Mitcham's landlord. She told deputies she went to Mitcham's resident early on the morning of Jan. 2 to speak with him. When she opened the door of his mobile home, she said, she witnessed the act.
Monday, January 09, 2012
The Chicken and the Egg
Over at Ann Althouse's blog, in a discussion of concealed carry permits for handguns in Madison and Wisconsin, we get down to a question of which came first:
Fanlund quotes Chief Wray[Noble Wray, Madison Police Chief]:
"What I can't understand is how come we have not evolved beyond the point that the best way to protect ourselves is a gun? How come we cannot come up with something that is less destructive and less permanent."
And Althouse supplies the obvious reply:
I do have a question for you though: Why haven't the police — the police you lead — eliminated crime in our neighborhoods? Why are there still rapes and robberies? Why are there still gangs? Why haven't your police evolved to the point where you have solved these problems for us? Because, I know that I, personally, would love to depend on government for all my personal protection. How come you cannot come up with something?
Exactly. It is the failure of law enforcement and the justice system to segregate the violent criminals from the rest of us that drives the demand for concealed-carry permits. People who feel safe from being victimized by criminals usually have little desire to jump through the hoops necessary to carry a concealed firearm legally.
Fanlund quotes Chief Wray[Noble Wray, Madison Police Chief]:
"What I can't understand is how come we have not evolved beyond the point that the best way to protect ourselves is a gun? How come we cannot come up with something that is less destructive and less permanent."
And Althouse supplies the obvious reply:
I do have a question for you though: Why haven't the police — the police you lead — eliminated crime in our neighborhoods? Why are there still rapes and robberies? Why are there still gangs? Why haven't your police evolved to the point where you have solved these problems for us? Because, I know that I, personally, would love to depend on government for all my personal protection. How come you cannot come up with something?
Exactly. It is the failure of law enforcement and the justice system to segregate the violent criminals from the rest of us that drives the demand for concealed-carry permits. People who feel safe from being victimized by criminals usually have little desire to jump through the hoops necessary to carry a concealed firearm legally.
Treasure Blog: US 1793 Penny
Sold for $1.38M at auction.
It's one of the US's first coins, and this particular penny had a design that was rejected, so it was never circulated.
Pic:
Apparently the chain design on the reverse side, of 13 links meant to indicate the unity of the United States, was instead rejected because of the connotation of chains with slavery, a touchy subject in the country at a time when the new government had struggled over slavery in the US Constitution.
Lady Liberty on the Obverse (heads) side of the penny is unappealingly masculine, IMO.
It's one of the US's first coins, and this particular penny had a design that was rejected, so it was never circulated.
Pic:
Apparently the chain design on the reverse side, of 13 links meant to indicate the unity of the United States, was instead rejected because of the connotation of chains with slavery, a touchy subject in the country at a time when the new government had struggled over slavery in the US Constitution.
Lady Liberty on the Obverse (heads) side of the penny is unappealingly masculine, IMO.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Re-Creating South Pole Scotch Whisky
I first mentioned this subject back in 2009 when the whisky was first discovered in the 1907 hut built by Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition; a couple of cases of the whisky had been left behind when the expedition failed to achieve its goal, and the whisky remained there for most of a century.
Now it has been re-created using the latest technology, and is available for sale (a quick search indicates that the stuff is priced in the $125-150 range).
h/t Irons In the Fire.
Now it has been re-created using the latest technology, and is available for sale (a quick search indicates that the stuff is priced in the $125-150 range).
h/t Irons In the Fire.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Yet Another Reason To Go Heeled
Emu running amok.
Laverne Bain likes to look at birds through her kitchen window.
This time, one was looking back: A big, baldish critter with stubby wings and a long, bowed neck.
"That's got to be the biggest turkey I've ever seen," Bain said Tuesday, laughing as she recalled her avian encounter. "That's what I was thinking at the moment. I promise, it was as tall as a pony, just peeking into the window at me."
After a few minutes -- and a couple of calls to neighbors along Elliot Bridge Road -- Bain realized her peeping tom wasn't a turkey at all.
She was one of several folks in central Harnett County to be visited this week by an emu: a large, flightless bird common in Australia that seems to have taken a shine to the rolling hills between Bunnlevel and Flat Branch.
And if you don't think emus are dangerous:
They can, in fact, disembowel you with a forward kick.
And for you fans of 70's TV:
Laverne Bain likes to look at birds through her kitchen window.
This time, one was looking back: A big, baldish critter with stubby wings and a long, bowed neck.
"That's got to be the biggest turkey I've ever seen," Bain said Tuesday, laughing as she recalled her avian encounter. "That's what I was thinking at the moment. I promise, it was as tall as a pony, just peeking into the window at me."
After a few minutes -- and a couple of calls to neighbors along Elliot Bridge Road -- Bain realized her peeping tom wasn't a turkey at all.
She was one of several folks in central Harnett County to be visited this week by an emu: a large, flightless bird common in Australia that seems to have taken a shine to the rolling hills between Bunnlevel and Flat Branch.
And if you don't think emus are dangerous:
They can, in fact, disembowel you with a forward kick.
And for you fans of 70's TV:
No, 'E's Stunned
And no, 'e's not a parrot.
The cold snap plaguing large areas of the Tar Heel state is causing problems for sea turtles, who have begun washing up on shore in large numbers after being stunned by quickly-dropping water temperatures.
As of Thursday morning, 19 marine reptiles – three loggerheads, 16 green turtles – had been found on regional beaches, mostly in the Cape Lookout area.
Twelve of the green turtles died Wednesday night, but Jean Beasley, director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach, said the rest of the group was showing some signs of life.
“I think within 72 hours we should have a pretty good idea,” Beasley said late Wednesday. “It's going to take us a while to warm these turtles up.”
Pic:
Amazin' Reptile, the Loggerhead. Beautiful Plumage...
So, of course...
The cold snap plaguing large areas of the Tar Heel state is causing problems for sea turtles, who have begun washing up on shore in large numbers after being stunned by quickly-dropping water temperatures.
As of Thursday morning, 19 marine reptiles – three loggerheads, 16 green turtles – had been found on regional beaches, mostly in the Cape Lookout area.
Twelve of the green turtles died Wednesday night, but Jean Beasley, director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach, said the rest of the group was showing some signs of life.
“I think within 72 hours we should have a pretty good idea,” Beasley said late Wednesday. “It's going to take us a while to warm these turtles up.”
Pic:
So, of course...
Random Thought
I wonder what it's going to take to get the two divided sides of the US to figure out a compromise that allows the country to run more efficiently. I think we can describe the divide as between the statists/Liberals/Progressives/Democrats/Hippies on one side, and the individualists/Conservatives/Republicans/Rednecks on the other side, both sides basically despise each other and feel that the other side's ceasing to exist would somehow lead to all of the US's problems being resolved.
Currently when a new President is inaugurated he spends his first week reversing the Executive Orders issued by the previous President. Barack Obama certainly did this, and Bush did it before him, and all the way back to Reagan's time, as far as I can recall, especially with regards to abortion. So I guess if we get a new President in November we'll go through the whole process again?
Are we just going to have Presidents that rule either the Hippies or the Rednecks, and pander to their respective group, and do their level best to work against the interests of the other group? How can we continue that way?
Currently when a new President is inaugurated he spends his first week reversing the Executive Orders issued by the previous President. Barack Obama certainly did this, and Bush did it before him, and all the way back to Reagan's time, as far as I can recall, especially with regards to abortion. So I guess if we get a new President in November we'll go through the whole process again?
Are we just going to have Presidents that rule either the Hippies or the Rednecks, and pander to their respective group, and do their level best to work against the interests of the other group? How can we continue that way?
You'd Think a SEAL Would Know Better
Violation of Cooper's Rule 1 and Rule 2:
SAN DIEGO — A Navy SEAL was hospitalized in very serious condition Thursday after he apparently accidentally shot himself in the head, officials said.
The shooting happened about 2 a.m. in a house in Pacific Beach, a popular oceanfront community north of the city. According to 10News, the local ABC affiliate that first reported the incident, San Diego police said the unidentified man was handling the gun and pointed it at his head to show his girlfriend it wasn’t loaded, but pulled the trigger and shot himself. Both had been drinking at a local bar earlier that night, 10News reported.
Jeff Cooper's rules of safe gun handling can be seen on my blog sidebar, but I'll mention them here for people who aren't familiar with them:
Rule 1: All guns are always loaded. Even if it's not, treat it as if it is.
Rule 2: Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
Rule 4: Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Reading further into the article I see that this young man was a baby SEAL, just passed BUD/S, the SEAL qualification course, but still...he's supposed to be a professional, should know better than this.
What a tragic lapse in judgment. Best wishes for his full and complete recovery.
SAN DIEGO — A Navy SEAL was hospitalized in very serious condition Thursday after he apparently accidentally shot himself in the head, officials said.
The shooting happened about 2 a.m. in a house in Pacific Beach, a popular oceanfront community north of the city. According to 10News, the local ABC affiliate that first reported the incident, San Diego police said the unidentified man was handling the gun and pointed it at his head to show his girlfriend it wasn’t loaded, but pulled the trigger and shot himself. Both had been drinking at a local bar earlier that night, 10News reported.
Jeff Cooper's rules of safe gun handling can be seen on my blog sidebar, but I'll mention them here for people who aren't familiar with them:
Rule 1: All guns are always loaded. Even if it's not, treat it as if it is.
Rule 2: Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.)
Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges.
Rule 4: Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified.
Reading further into the article I see that this young man was a baby SEAL, just passed BUD/S, the SEAL qualification course, but still...he's supposed to be a professional, should know better than this.
What a tragic lapse in judgment. Best wishes for his full and complete recovery.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
She Thought It Was Ass-inine?
A drunken Colorado woman punched, scratched, rubbed her buttocks over and tried to urinate on a painting worth 30 million dollars.
The painting is by Clyfford Still and is called "1957-J no.2." It's in the abstract expressionist genre, so I can't tell by looking what is damage and what was done by the artist:
She might have simply said "That sucks and I don't think it's art," but I guess she felt a more concrete criticism was in order.
The painting is by Clyfford Still and is called "1957-J no.2." It's in the abstract expressionist genre, so I can't tell by looking what is damage and what was done by the artist:
She might have simply said "That sucks and I don't think it's art," but I guess she felt a more concrete criticism was in order.
I Actually Don't Have a Problem With It
The "draconian" proposed cuts in the Defense Department, I mean.
I've wanted to see a reduction in the size of the US military for quite a while now, in combination with a withdrawal from overseas adventurism and perpetual warfare, which is not the US pattern of behavior until recently. We could actually cut Defense by 50% and still have the world's largest and most powerful military, not even taking into account our nuclear arsenal.
Having said that, it seems clear that President Obama and Co. want to use the money saved from defense cuts to boost entitlement and infrastructure spending, but I think that the savings, or at least a large portion of them, should go to reducing the deficit and the national debt.
I've wanted to see a reduction in the size of the US military for quite a while now, in combination with a withdrawal from overseas adventurism and perpetual warfare, which is not the US pattern of behavior until recently. We could actually cut Defense by 50% and still have the world's largest and most powerful military, not even taking into account our nuclear arsenal.
Having said that, it seems clear that President Obama and Co. want to use the money saved from defense cuts to boost entitlement and infrastructure spending, but I think that the savings, or at least a large portion of them, should go to reducing the deficit and the national debt.
Arrival
Schrade Sharpfinger knife:
This one is a bit of a hybrid, being neither a genuine Schrade from before that US company went bankrupt, nor is it fully a Chinese-made knife made under the Schrade name, as current Schrade production is; it's a combo of a blade made by the US factory in Ellenville, NY, before the bankruptcy, and finished "offshore" (presumably by the Chinese) under contract from Smoky Mountain Knife Works, who bought up a lot of Schrade's old blade stock.
This Sharpfinger isn't really an Old Timer, because Schrade knives made under that name usually (but not always) had knives made of 1095 carbon steel, and this one is made of Schrade+ steel, which is stainless and from the 440 family of steels. The contractors who did the handle (and, presumably, the sheath) did a pretty good, but not a perfect job. The black-colored handle scales are made of Dymondwood, which is a material made up of thin layers of wood pressed together with resin; waterproof, stable, and long-lasting. These were fastened to the blade with brass pins, and the person who fastened them on didn't do a good enough job, as they rattled loosely on the blade until I took a hammer to them myself. The sheath is well constructed of quality leather, and can't be distinguished from old Schrade product. The blade itself, the only part made in the US factory, was reasonably sharp, and would shave a few hairs from my arm. After I honed it lightly on a crock stick, it became fearfully sharp, and the hairs jumped off my arm in fright rather than wait to be cut. ;-)
As I said above, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is selling them, at a fair price of $19.95. They had them in brown handles as well, but those already seem to be sold out, all that is left is the black. They also have (or had) some of the Schrade Loveless-pattern hunting knives.
This one is a bit of a hybrid, being neither a genuine Schrade from before that US company went bankrupt, nor is it fully a Chinese-made knife made under the Schrade name, as current Schrade production is; it's a combo of a blade made by the US factory in Ellenville, NY, before the bankruptcy, and finished "offshore" (presumably by the Chinese) under contract from Smoky Mountain Knife Works, who bought up a lot of Schrade's old blade stock.
This Sharpfinger isn't really an Old Timer, because Schrade knives made under that name usually (but not always) had knives made of 1095 carbon steel, and this one is made of Schrade+ steel, which is stainless and from the 440 family of steels. The contractors who did the handle (and, presumably, the sheath) did a pretty good, but not a perfect job. The black-colored handle scales are made of Dymondwood, which is a material made up of thin layers of wood pressed together with resin; waterproof, stable, and long-lasting. These were fastened to the blade with brass pins, and the person who fastened them on didn't do a good enough job, as they rattled loosely on the blade until I took a hammer to them myself. The sheath is well constructed of quality leather, and can't be distinguished from old Schrade product. The blade itself, the only part made in the US factory, was reasonably sharp, and would shave a few hairs from my arm. After I honed it lightly on a crock stick, it became fearfully sharp, and the hairs jumped off my arm in fright rather than wait to be cut. ;-)
As I said above, Smoky Mountain Knife Works is selling them, at a fair price of $19.95. They had them in brown handles as well, but those already seem to be sold out, all that is left is the black. They also have (or had) some of the Schrade Loveless-pattern hunting knives.
King of the Snipers Punched Out Jesse Ventura?
Apparently so:
It was in 2006 when Ventura and the SEALs happened to be in the same bar, for very different reasons. The SEALs were holding a wake to honor a lost member of their team. Jesse was in town to speak to some new graduates of the SEAL program. During his military career from 1969-75, Ventura was a member of the Navy’s elite Underwater Demolition Team or UDT (the UDT was the precursor to the SEALs) and Jesse is a SEAL reservist. You might expect that sharing the history of membership in an elite military unit would garner a lifetime of mutual respect. Not so with Ventura.
As stated above, the SEALs were in the bar to mourn the loss of team member. They had gathered with the family of Medal of Honor recipient Mike Mansoor when Ventura made it known to many that he did not agree with the war. Kyle claims that he approached the former governor, and asked him to keep it down, informing Jesse that the family of the deceased was also with them.
That’s when Ventura unleashed more of his insensitive comments and Kyle reportedly countered with a one-punch knockdown.
LOL. I'll be damned.
It was in 2006 when Ventura and the SEALs happened to be in the same bar, for very different reasons. The SEALs were holding a wake to honor a lost member of their team. Jesse was in town to speak to some new graduates of the SEAL program. During his military career from 1969-75, Ventura was a member of the Navy’s elite Underwater Demolition Team or UDT (the UDT was the precursor to the SEALs) and Jesse is a SEAL reservist. You might expect that sharing the history of membership in an elite military unit would garner a lifetime of mutual respect. Not so with Ventura.
As stated above, the SEALs were in the bar to mourn the loss of team member. They had gathered with the family of Medal of Honor recipient Mike Mansoor when Ventura made it known to many that he did not agree with the war. Kyle claims that he approached the former governor, and asked him to keep it down, informing Jesse that the family of the deceased was also with them.
That’s when Ventura unleashed more of his insensitive comments and Kyle reportedly countered with a one-punch knockdown.
LOL. I'll be damned.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Headline of the Day
"Chinese official arrested after 'poisonous cat stew plot.'"
Well, of course it happened in China, that very nearly goes without saying.
Well, of course it happened in China, that very nearly goes without saying.
Some Iowa Commentary...
...from Radley Balko:
Paul’s showing tonight wasn’t about racist newsletters, 9/11 trutherism, or take your pick of nutty Alex Jones conspiracy theories. Paul won strong support from young people, independents, and traditional conservatives tonight. Some like him on the drug war. Some like him for attempting to hold the Federal Reserve more transparent and accountable. (Paul would abolish it entirely, of course. But he’s shooting for transparent and accountable for now.) All of the aforementioned groups seem to like him on cleaving the debt and bringing U.S. troops home from overseas. The GOP establishment wants none of him. But now they have to deal with him, and they have to deal with his arguments. They can’t just assume perpetual war as a given. There’s a small but emerging faction in the party that finds the idea offensive. That’s largely because of Ron Paul. And that’s a healthy thing.
Paul has also pushed all of these issues beyond the GOP and into the national discussion. He deserves a ton of credit for that, too. I still prefer Gary Johnson to Paul, for reasons I’ll explain in the next few days. But you could make a strong argument that tonight’s results represent the most significant contribution a libertarian has ever made to presidential politics. Ron Paul is the man who made it. And both the country and libertarianism are better for it.
Paul’s showing tonight wasn’t about racist newsletters, 9/11 trutherism, or take your pick of nutty Alex Jones conspiracy theories. Paul won strong support from young people, independents, and traditional conservatives tonight. Some like him on the drug war. Some like him for attempting to hold the Federal Reserve more transparent and accountable. (Paul would abolish it entirely, of course. But he’s shooting for transparent and accountable for now.) All of the aforementioned groups seem to like him on cleaving the debt and bringing U.S. troops home from overseas. The GOP establishment wants none of him. But now they have to deal with him, and they have to deal with his arguments. They can’t just assume perpetual war as a given. There’s a small but emerging faction in the party that finds the idea offensive. That’s largely because of Ron Paul. And that’s a healthy thing.
Paul has also pushed all of these issues beyond the GOP and into the national discussion. He deserves a ton of credit for that, too. I still prefer Gary Johnson to Paul, for reasons I’ll explain in the next few days. But you could make a strong argument that tonight’s results represent the most significant contribution a libertarian has ever made to presidential politics. Ron Paul is the man who made it. And both the country and libertarianism are better for it.
Treasure Blog: Roman Whorehouse Token, London
Shows a couple copulating, and is just a bit smaller than a UK 1-pound coin:
Dug out of the mud of the Thames River by a man with a metal detector.
Dug out of the mud of the Thames River by a man with a metal detector.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Which Says Something About Prisons - - and Monasteries
"Police: Convict Prefers Jail To Monks."
ENNA, Italy, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Italian authorities said a man who has twice fled a halfway house told police he prefers jail to the monks who run the house.
The man "said he could not deal with the strict Capuchin monks who run the home."
The Capuchins are an offshoot of the Franciscans.
ENNA, Italy, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Italian authorities said a man who has twice fled a halfway house told police he prefers jail to the monks who run the house.
The man "said he could not deal with the strict Capuchin monks who run the home."
The Capuchins are an offshoot of the Franciscans.
Yer Expertise...Is Less Than Impressive
In scientific, double-blind tests, expert musicians couldn't differentiate the sound quality between a Stradivarius violin and a modern instrument.
It's often the case that, when experts are subjected to such testing, that the results are less than impressive, and that most of the "expertise" results from luck or superior knowledge only, not superior skill, whether it is in playing a musical instrument, tasting wine, or what have you.
It's often the case that, when experts are subjected to such testing, that the results are less than impressive, and that most of the "expertise" results from luck or superior knowledge only, not superior skill, whether it is in playing a musical instrument, tasting wine, or what have you.
The New Sniper King
And he was a US Navy SEAL - - Chris Kyle.
Looks like he's got a book coming out, too.
255 killed, 160 confirmed. That blows away the old US record.
Looks like he's got a book coming out, too.
255 killed, 160 confirmed. That blows away the old US record.
Copper Sinks and Faucets?
Germs die on copper surfaces.
The MUSC study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and published in October, found copper surfaces in intensive-care hospital rooms had 97 percent less bacteria than noncopper surfaces, resulting in fewer hospital-acquired infections. The copper was found to kill several types of bacteria, including a strain of E. coli and MRSA, a staph bacteria that can lead to fatal infections.
Pic:
That's at the Ronald MacDonald House in Charleston.
The MUSC study, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and published in October, found copper surfaces in intensive-care hospital rooms had 97 percent less bacteria than noncopper surfaces, resulting in fewer hospital-acquired infections. The copper was found to kill several types of bacteria, including a strain of E. coli and MRSA, a staph bacteria that can lead to fatal infections.
Pic:
That's at the Ronald MacDonald House in Charleston.
Disappearing Diamondback Rattlesnakes In SC
Mostly due to loss of habitat, but active destruction by unreasoning humans takes its toll.
Although I've killed them myself, as a younker in Florida. And I'd like a belt of Diamondback hide, if I could find a snake that long. *grins*
Leave them alone, if at all possible. I won't condemn someone for killing one around a house, but if you see one in the woods, stop and admire it, then let it go about its business, which is rodent control.
Although I've killed them myself, as a younker in Florida. And I'd like a belt of Diamondback hide, if I could find a snake that long. *grins*
Leave them alone, if at all possible. I won't condemn someone for killing one around a house, but if you see one in the woods, stop and admire it, then let it go about its business, which is rodent control.
He's a Blasphemer! Stone Him!
Over at Grant Cunningham's blog, rude things are said about the 1911 pistol and its designer, John Moses Browning.
Sample:
Speaking of Browning, what about him? As I've said before: it's pretty hard to get excited about a guy who wasn't talented enough to build a revolver! He's lucky that Colt (and Winchester and FN and Ithaca and everyone else who got suckered into buying his latest back-of-the-napkin doodle) had real engineers to clean up his designs and actually make them work. Unfortunately, like poor Dieudonné Joseph Saive (Browning wasn't the only gun guy with a biblical middle name, which makes me wonder if there's a union somewhere who insists on it in their contract), they never got the credit they deserved for making the hack look good in public.
Click the link to read the rest of it. I'm reminded of a favorite Monty Python clip:
Sample:
Speaking of Browning, what about him? As I've said before: it's pretty hard to get excited about a guy who wasn't talented enough to build a revolver! He's lucky that Colt (and Winchester and FN and Ithaca and everyone else who got suckered into buying his latest back-of-the-napkin doodle) had real engineers to clean up his designs and actually make them work. Unfortunately, like poor Dieudonné Joseph Saive (Browning wasn't the only gun guy with a biblical middle name, which makes me wonder if there's a union somewhere who insists on it in their contract), they never got the credit they deserved for making the hack look good in public.
Click the link to read the rest of it. I'm reminded of a favorite Monty Python clip:
"Now Go Eat Some."
Cheese mites, that is to say.
I promised you something on cheese mites today. I hope I don’t put you off cheese. Or honey. Or flour. Or any other staple foodstuffs. A little knowledge of mites and other micro-fauna makes you realise that veganism and vegetarianism can only ever be relative.
Click the link to read the glorious rest of it. H/T to Le Loup at A Woodsrunner's Diary for the link.
I promised you something on cheese mites today. I hope I don’t put you off cheese. Or honey. Or flour. Or any other staple foodstuffs. A little knowledge of mites and other micro-fauna makes you realise that veganism and vegetarianism can only ever be relative.
Click the link to read the glorious rest of it. H/T to Le Loup at A Woodsrunner's Diary for the link.
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