"Bullet Bounces Off of Victim’s Face and Kills Robber."
Crime doesn’t pay, but it can shoot back.
Police say 16-year-old Clifton Chatman’s death is the result of a botched Dec. 14 robbery near a public housing complex in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood. In the attempted mugging, the teen and three accomplices ambushed a man and demanded his cell phone and other belongings.
The victim complied and the robbers began to rummage through the loot, but one of them pulled out a handgun and fired at the man. But then the round struck the man’s face, ricocheted and struck Chapman, killing him on the spot.
The other suspects fled the scene and when police arrived, the found the robbery victim, and Chatman, who was identified later.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Yer Johnson Or Yer Life
A box cutter and a trailer were involved, as you might imagine, as was threats to tie the victim to a tree.
I didn't know that the area south of Indianapolis was that much of a Deliverance-style wilderness, myself...
I didn't know that the area south of Indianapolis was that much of a Deliverance-style wilderness, myself...
Monday, December 30, 2013
Well, Freedom-Lovers, Here's Your Chance
via Amy Alkon:
LOS ANGELES, CA -- As drivers prove their innocence at warrantless police checkpoints this New Year, they will not only be scrutinized over their potential consumption of alcohol. A new technology will enable the police to detect and arrest drivers for having marijuana, narcotics, and "other drugs" in their bloodstreams.
The recently unveiled device is a portable saliva swab analyzer, capable of immediately sampling body fluids for the presence of foreign intoxicants. The machines were paid for by grants from the state.
...During police roadblocks, drivers are stopped without probable cause and forced into non-consensual interactions with government agents in which they must demonstrate their sobriety before being allowed to continue traveling down the public street.
The saliva swabs are but one of the searches that police can coerce a driver into allowing. Should the driver refuse a saliva search, the police can seek a warrant for a forced blood draw. Often in large checkpoint operations, a judge is placed on-call or on-site to sign such warrants to confiscate blood.
Such events are called "No Refusal" checkpoints, and they are gaining popularity in many states, such as Tennessee and Georgia. And with the new focus on targeting marijuana and narcotics, we can probably expect to see more of them than ever.
Well, there you go. You're officially warned. Your opportunity to fight for your liberty, as the Founding Fathers did, is now here. Are you prepared to be arrested? Beaten and tased? Thrown in jail? Killed, even? Hope you've discussed it with your family, have your will drawn up, have an attorney on speed-dial, etc. The time is now.
LOS ANGELES, CA -- As drivers prove their innocence at warrantless police checkpoints this New Year, they will not only be scrutinized over their potential consumption of alcohol. A new technology will enable the police to detect and arrest drivers for having marijuana, narcotics, and "other drugs" in their bloodstreams.
The recently unveiled device is a portable saliva swab analyzer, capable of immediately sampling body fluids for the presence of foreign intoxicants. The machines were paid for by grants from the state.
...During police roadblocks, drivers are stopped without probable cause and forced into non-consensual interactions with government agents in which they must demonstrate their sobriety before being allowed to continue traveling down the public street.
The saliva swabs are but one of the searches that police can coerce a driver into allowing. Should the driver refuse a saliva search, the police can seek a warrant for a forced blood draw. Often in large checkpoint operations, a judge is placed on-call or on-site to sign such warrants to confiscate blood.
Such events are called "No Refusal" checkpoints, and they are gaining popularity in many states, such as Tennessee and Georgia. And with the new focus on targeting marijuana and narcotics, we can probably expect to see more of them than ever.
Well, there you go. You're officially warned. Your opportunity to fight for your liberty, as the Founding Fathers did, is now here. Are you prepared to be arrested? Beaten and tased? Thrown in jail? Killed, even? Hope you've discussed it with your family, have your will drawn up, have an attorney on speed-dial, etc. The time is now.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Meanwhile, In Cartersville, GA...
...a couple come to blows over the Bible:
A man and a woman were arrested for battery following a fight over the Bible and the Ten Commandments, Georgia police said.
The fight occurred at 1 a.m. Saturday morning in a hotel room in Cartersville.
When the police officer entered the motel room, he saw blood on the carpet and a bloody towel in the sink, the police report states.
Carolyn Unfricht, one of the detainees, told the officer that the conversation had become tense, and that she used a Bible to hit Daniel Camarda across the face, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
If I had to bet I'd say it was probably a King James Bible placed by the Gideons.
A man and a woman were arrested for battery following a fight over the Bible and the Ten Commandments, Georgia police said.
The fight occurred at 1 a.m. Saturday morning in a hotel room in Cartersville.
When the police officer entered the motel room, he saw blood on the carpet and a bloody towel in the sink, the police report states.
Carolyn Unfricht, one of the detainees, told the officer that the conversation had become tense, and that she used a Bible to hit Daniel Camarda across the face, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
If I had to bet I'd say it was probably a King James Bible placed by the Gideons.
Treasure Blog: Lost Van Dyck Painting
It was brought in to the UK Antiques Roadshow and identified as possibly genuine by the host, Fiona Bruce.
Value after restoration is £400,000 or higher. Pic:
The painting was owned by a priest, who wishes to use profits from the sale to purchase new bells for his church. A worthy use, although UK being UK, I'd imagine that his local government entity will step in and stop the bells ringing when somebody - - an atheist or Muslim, probably - - complains about the "noise" from the bells ringing.
Value after restoration is £400,000 or higher. Pic:
The painting was owned by a priest, who wishes to use profits from the sale to purchase new bells for his church. A worthy use, although UK being UK, I'd imagine that his local government entity will step in and stop the bells ringing when somebody - - an atheist or Muslim, probably - - complains about the "noise" from the bells ringing.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
For You Piers Morgan Fans Out There...
...Piers is in the habit of insulting people, both on his CNN show and his Twitter feed. He's been very disparaging of sports figures in football (soccer) and cricket. Recently a cricketer who has been subject to Morgan's ridicule got a chance to play a little catch-up:
Give Morgan a *little* credit, though, for standing up there and taking his licks like a man - - mostly.
Give Morgan a *little* credit, though, for standing up there and taking his licks like a man - - mostly.
Media Starting To Squirm In Its Own Spotlight?
A story at Mediaite speculates on media complicity in the latest knockout game attack, which appears to have been committed as a sort of experiment to see if media coverage of the Knockout Game would be different if the races involved were reversed.
As, of course, it has. Unlike every other Knockout Game attack, this latest one, in which the perpetrator was white and the victim was black (every other knockout game without exception has been a black perpetrator with white or Asian victims), media coverage has been comprehensive, and the race of the perpetrator has been prominently mentioned in stories, either in the headline or the lede paragraph. And, of course, this is the first time that federal hate crime charges have been brought in a Knockout Game attack.
So: double standard proved, both in media coverage and in prosecution by authorities. The perpetrator should be congratulated on a successful experiment, without overlooking the fact that it came at the expense of an elderly black man's health. Maybe now MSM outlets such as The New York Times can stop characterizing the Knockout Game as a "myth" to be dismissed in the name of racial harmony.
As, of course, it has. Unlike every other Knockout Game attack, this latest one, in which the perpetrator was white and the victim was black (every other knockout game without exception has been a black perpetrator with white or Asian victims), media coverage has been comprehensive, and the race of the perpetrator has been prominently mentioned in stories, either in the headline or the lede paragraph. And, of course, this is the first time that federal hate crime charges have been brought in a Knockout Game attack.
So: double standard proved, both in media coverage and in prosecution by authorities. The perpetrator should be congratulated on a successful experiment, without overlooking the fact that it came at the expense of an elderly black man's health. Maybe now MSM outlets such as The New York Times can stop characterizing the Knockout Game as a "myth" to be dismissed in the name of racial harmony.
Friday, December 27, 2013
World's Hottest Pepper...Just Down the Road In Fort Mill, SC?
The Carolina Reaper:
The world record is nice, but it's just part of Currie's grand plan. He's been interested in peppers all his life, the hotter the better. Ever since he got the taste of a sweet hot pepper from the Caribbean a decade ago, he has been determined to breed the hottest pepper he can. He is also determined to build his company, PuckerButt Pepper Company, into something that will let the 50-year-old entrepreneur retire before his young kids grow up.
The peppers started as a hobby, grown in his Rock Hill backyard. The business now spreads across a number of backyards and a couple dozen acres in Chester County. As his business grew, Currie kept his job at a bank because he promised his wife, whom he wooed a decade ago by making her a fresh batch of salsa, he wouldn't leave the lucrative position until they were out of debt. She released him from that vow in February.
Currie has about a dozen employees. Even with the publicity of the world record, he still gets nervous about making payroll. He said the attention has helped him move closer to the goal of making PuckerButt self-sustaining.
Currie's peppers aren't just about heat. He aims for sweetness, too. He makes sauces and mustards with names like "Voodoo Prince Death Mamba," "Edible Lava" and "I Dare You Stupit" with a goal to enhance the flavor of food.
Guy has a flair for names too, doesn't he?
The world record is nice, but it's just part of Currie's grand plan. He's been interested in peppers all his life, the hotter the better. Ever since he got the taste of a sweet hot pepper from the Caribbean a decade ago, he has been determined to breed the hottest pepper he can. He is also determined to build his company, PuckerButt Pepper Company, into something that will let the 50-year-old entrepreneur retire before his young kids grow up.
The peppers started as a hobby, grown in his Rock Hill backyard. The business now spreads across a number of backyards and a couple dozen acres in Chester County. As his business grew, Currie kept his job at a bank because he promised his wife, whom he wooed a decade ago by making her a fresh batch of salsa, he wouldn't leave the lucrative position until they were out of debt. She released him from that vow in February.
Currie has about a dozen employees. Even with the publicity of the world record, he still gets nervous about making payroll. He said the attention has helped him move closer to the goal of making PuckerButt self-sustaining.
Currie's peppers aren't just about heat. He aims for sweetness, too. He makes sauces and mustards with names like "Voodoo Prince Death Mamba," "Edible Lava" and "I Dare You Stupit" with a goal to enhance the flavor of food.
Guy has a flair for names too, doesn't he?
Quote of the Day
All of us barbecue guys are inbred." - - Chip Stamey, Stamey's Barbecue, Greensboro, NC
Stamey doesn't mean that pitmasters are into cousin-humping; he was referring to a certain segment of the NC barbecue business working on a mentoring basis, with his grandfather, Warner Stamey, having mentored many of the men who have gone on to open barbecue joints of their own: Wayne Monk at Lexington BBQ, the Alston Bridges family of Shelby, and the Red Bridges family, also of Shelby (they aren't related to the Alston Bridges family despite sharing the same name, I swear).
Stamey doesn't mean that pitmasters are into cousin-humping; he was referring to a certain segment of the NC barbecue business working on a mentoring basis, with his grandfather, Warner Stamey, having mentored many of the men who have gone on to open barbecue joints of their own: Wayne Monk at Lexington BBQ, the Alston Bridges family of Shelby, and the Red Bridges family, also of Shelby (they aren't related to the Alston Bridges family despite sharing the same name, I swear).
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Crunchy Worm Season
I guess that a Native American would describe December in this part of NC as The Moon of Frozen Worms. As in earthworms. Our house is on a flood plain beside a creek, and thus the yard is wet quite a lot of the time, which causes earthworms to surface regularly to avoid drowning. In the winter this results in them freezing to death, and apparently the local hawks think of frozen earthworms as a particular treat - - a sort of wormsicle, I suppose you'd say. Here's our mated pair of Red-Shouldered Hawks, waiting for the humans to stop walking outside and disturbing their snacking:
You Don't Tug On Superman's Cape, You Don't Spit Into the Wind, You Don't Pull the Mask Off That Old Lone Ranger...
and you don't mess around with Jim - - or go swimming in a river full of piranhas.
A mass piranha attack left sixty people injured as they enjoy a Christmas Day swim in an Argentine river.
Dozens of bathers including more than 20 children were bitten by the shoal of meat-eating fish during the surprise attack.
A seven-year-old girl lost part of one of her fingers and a young boy was left with an open fracture in his hand.
Other swimmers suffered deep cuts to their ankles, fingers and hands.
The attack happened on Christmas Day on a popular beach on the Parana River in the city of Rosario, birthplace of Barcelona striker Messi.
Swimmers trying to cool down in 100 degrees temperatures raced out of the water bleeding from wounds and shouting for help while the parents of children in the water rushed to their aid to drag them to safety.
Coastguards called paramedics so they could assist the most seriously injured before police temporarily closed off the beach, forcing people out of the water who continued to swim despite the danger.
How about Down By the River, Fish Bit My Baby?
How about Ha ha, you fool! You fell for one of the classic blunders!
How about They chose poorly?
How about What a maroon!
A mass piranha attack left sixty people injured as they enjoy a Christmas Day swim in an Argentine river.
Dozens of bathers including more than 20 children were bitten by the shoal of meat-eating fish during the surprise attack.
A seven-year-old girl lost part of one of her fingers and a young boy was left with an open fracture in his hand.
Other swimmers suffered deep cuts to their ankles, fingers and hands.
The attack happened on Christmas Day on a popular beach on the Parana River in the city of Rosario, birthplace of Barcelona striker Messi.
Swimmers trying to cool down in 100 degrees temperatures raced out of the water bleeding from wounds and shouting for help while the parents of children in the water rushed to their aid to drag them to safety.
Coastguards called paramedics so they could assist the most seriously injured before police temporarily closed off the beach, forcing people out of the water who continued to swim despite the danger.
How about Down By the River, Fish Bit My Baby?
How about Ha ha, you fool! You fell for one of the classic blunders!
How about They chose poorly?
How about What a maroon!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
A Miracle...
O Lord open thou my lips
And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
O God come to my assistance;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Unto us a Christ is born, O come let us worship Him...
(the start of the Roman Catholic rite of Matins, sung traditionally at Midnight by those in religious orders).
And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
O God come to my assistance;
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Unto us a Christ is born, O come let us worship Him...
(the start of the Roman Catholic rite of Matins, sung traditionally at Midnight by those in religious orders).
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Well, You Could Sell Them At Sporting Events, I Suppose
"Golf balls, lighters and action figures: Staggering rubbish found in albatross chicks' stomachs."
And, of course, those things not being part of the Albatross's diet, it's killing them. But hey! It might provide employment for some poor woman:
And, of course, those things not being part of the Albatross's diet, it's killing them. But hey! It might provide employment for some poor woman:
Um...Pardon My Asking This, But...
...doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose of using GPS trackers if you advertise to the thieves that you're doing it?
Snatching baby Jesus at Christmas time.
Snatching baby Jesus at Christmas time.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Finally, Christians Push Back
"2 people lynched in Central African Republic."
That would be two Muslims that brandished a gun in front of a "mob" of Christians.
That would be two Muslims that brandished a gun in front of a "mob" of Christians.
Fly Amistad Airlines!
"On Jammed Jets, Sardines Turn on One Another."
When your main concern when flying is how low you can get a fare, don't complain when airlines respond by packing you in like sardines - - or slaves.
When your main concern when flying is how low you can get a fare, don't complain when airlines respond by packing you in like sardines - - or slaves.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Meanwhile, In UK...
...at the Marks & Spencer's chain of stores, if you approach the checkout aisle with alcohol or pork products such as bacon, ham or sausage in your cart and the cashier is Muslim, the cashier can refuse to process your items and you'll have to find another, non-Muslim cashier.
The non-Muslim majority in UK is offended, as you might guess.
The non-Muslim majority in UK is offended, as you might guess.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Quote of the Day
Mark Steyn:
JC: How do we fight the thought police like this in 30 seconds?
MS: You just have to stand up and reject it, and say no, it’s my right to say this. And if you’re offended, so what? That’s not a dispositive argument. Everybody’s offended by everything. And if you’re going to have a multicultural society, it requires everybody, instead of tiptoeing on eggshells, to grow much thicker skins.
JC: How do we fight the thought police like this in 30 seconds?
MS: You just have to stand up and reject it, and say no, it’s my right to say this. And if you’re offended, so what? That’s not a dispositive argument. Everybody’s offended by everything. And if you’re going to have a multicultural society, it requires everybody, instead of tiptoeing on eggshells, to grow much thicker skins.
Now That's An Apt Metaphor
MA State Police Confiscate 1250 Bags Of Heroin Labeled “Obamacare.”
If I say they're both a monkey on your back is it racist?
If I say they're both a monkey on your back is it racist?
Once Is Happenstance, Twice Is Coincidence...
...Three times it's enemy action.
Three times now, in three different states - - Texas, Alabama, and now Pennsylvania - - random police checkpoints have been set up on roadways and Americans stopped and requested to voluntarily give blood and/or saliva samples.
I think that the federal government is running an experiment - - not anything to do with the samples themselves, but gauging how much resistance/hostility to the checkpoints themselves are offered by the American people. Or, perhaps, the government is trying to provoke a violent response to the checkpoints, for purposes of cracking down even further on civil rights and liberty.
It seems faily obvious to me that the Founding Fathers would never accept such violations of privacy and liberty; the only thing remaining to determine is, will we?
Three times now, in three different states - - Texas, Alabama, and now Pennsylvania - - random police checkpoints have been set up on roadways and Americans stopped and requested to voluntarily give blood and/or saliva samples.
I think that the federal government is running an experiment - - not anything to do with the samples themselves, but gauging how much resistance/hostility to the checkpoints themselves are offered by the American people. Or, perhaps, the government is trying to provoke a violent response to the checkpoints, for purposes of cracking down even further on civil rights and liberty.
It seems faily obvious to me that the Founding Fathers would never accept such violations of privacy and liberty; the only thing remaining to determine is, will we?
OK, They Admit It: It's Just a Sideshow
Duck Dynasty, that is. And Honey Boo-Boo, and those folks that catch catfish with their bare hands. Paula Deen, too. All just part of the sideshow, like the Strong Man and the Snake Woman and Spock and the Dog-Faced Boy:
I found the admission here, in a discussion of the "offensive" remarks made by Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty:
"Channels like A&E program 'regular' people mostly to make curiosities out of them," said Jeffrey McCall, a media studies professor at DePauw University. "The programmers want to manage every aspect of their 'reality' commodities, but that isn't really possible.
"If A&E wants the Robertsons to make money for the channel by being authentic, then at some point A&E has to accept that reality stars will be real human beings," McCall added. "If A&E didn't like the Robertsons as they are, then why did they give them a weekly platform?"
So there you are. Just part of the sideshow.
I found the admission here, in a discussion of the "offensive" remarks made by Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty:
"Channels like A&E program 'regular' people mostly to make curiosities out of them," said Jeffrey McCall, a media studies professor at DePauw University. "The programmers want to manage every aspect of their 'reality' commodities, but that isn't really possible.
"If A&E wants the Robertsons to make money for the channel by being authentic, then at some point A&E has to accept that reality stars will be real human beings," McCall added. "If A&E didn't like the Robertsons as they are, then why did they give them a weekly platform?"
So there you are. Just part of the sideshow.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Happy Birthday To...
...Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, 70 years old today, and not looking a day over 160.
That's a Lot of Entering For a Virgin
The "Minute Meditations" I get from the Franciscans every morning in my email box:
What a wonder is Mary! The Lord entered her, and became a Servant; the Word entered her, and became silent within her; Thunder entered her, and His voice was still; the Shepherd of all entered her, and He became a Lamb in her, and came forth bleating. – - St. Ephrem of Syria
What a wonder is Mary! The Lord entered her, and became a Servant; the Word entered her, and became silent within her; Thunder entered her, and His voice was still; the Shepherd of all entered her, and He became a Lamb in her, and came forth bleating. – - St. Ephrem of Syria
For All of You Foodies Out There...
...worried about supplies of your favorite green-capped hot sauce, I'm happy to inform you that North Carolina's own Texas Pete has your back:
You can stop worrying about that rumored shortage of Huy Fong sriracha sauce after the shutdown of the plant in California: T.W. Garner Food Co. of Winston-Salem is riding to the rescue with Cha! by Texas Pete.
Yep, Pete is going Southeast as in Asia. T.W. Garner announced the release of the sauce Dec. 17. Cha! will be sold at national and regional stores that already carry Texas Pete brands. The company describes is as "a fiery blend of heat and sweet" that has been in development for more than a year.
Pic:
Call It Texas Pete-cha!
Now that we have Texas Petecha, can Chabasco be far behind?
You can stop worrying about that rumored shortage of Huy Fong sriracha sauce after the shutdown of the plant in California: T.W. Garner Food Co. of Winston-Salem is riding to the rescue with Cha! by Texas Pete.
Yep, Pete is going Southeast as in Asia. T.W. Garner announced the release of the sauce Dec. 17. Cha! will be sold at national and regional stores that already carry Texas Pete brands. The company describes is as "a fiery blend of heat and sweet" that has been in development for more than a year.
Pic:
Now that we have Texas Petecha, can Chabasco be far behind?
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
"Grand Bargain" On Guns?
Sounds like a promising start.
As opposed to other calls for "dialog" and "compromise" by gun owners, this offer demands that both sides bring an something to the table.
What do you think? If there was a nationwide CCW system, would you be willing to undergo the training/permitting process involved, if it wasn't too Draconian?
I like the idea of restoring civil rights (right to own guns) to certain classes of criminals. How about you? If, in return, certain violent misdemeanants - - stalkers, for example - - would lose civil rights?
Read the whole thing, and let me know what you think.
As opposed to other calls for "dialog" and "compromise" by gun owners, this offer demands that both sides bring an something to the table.
What do you think? If there was a nationwide CCW system, would you be willing to undergo the training/permitting process involved, if it wasn't too Draconian?
I like the idea of restoring civil rights (right to own guns) to certain classes of criminals. How about you? If, in return, certain violent misdemeanants - - stalkers, for example - - would lose civil rights?
Read the whole thing, and let me know what you think.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Sounds Like a Righteous Sort of Beating
Reading this story, you get the impression that Younger Brother was turned on to the drugs that killed him by Evil Roommate, which pissed off Older Brother, who went upside Evil Roommate's head with a 2x4. Might be why the DA is only bringing Voluntary Manslaughter charges instead of 2nd Degree Murder. Presumably there were no Skittles involved.
Abby...Someone.
"Teenagers who smoke cannabis have 'poor memory and abnormal brain structures.'"
You know what that leads to, of course:
You know what that leads to, of course:
Headline of the Day
"Life in jail for people traffickers as Home Office report says there could be more than 10,000 slaves in Britain today."
But UK is a civilized country! They got rid of their guns, and are getting rid of the knives!
You there, in back - - stop that muttering about cause and effect! We'll lock your ass up! You think you have free speech or something?
Rule, Britannia! Rule the waves.
Britons never will be slaves.
Well, hardly ever...
But UK is a civilized country! They got rid of their guns, and are getting rid of the knives!
You there, in back - - stop that muttering about cause and effect! We'll lock your ass up! You think you have free speech or something?
Rule, Britannia! Rule the waves.
Britons never will be slaves.
Well, hardly ever...
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Most Successful Congress Ever?
Over at Reason, David Harsanyi argues that the current Congress, as unpopular as it is in opinion polls, has been remarkably successful at blocking the sort of freedom-eroding laws that ruin a country by degrees.
Gun owners feel this keenly, since very nearly every law passed by government concerning guns is an erosion of freedom. There has been pushback against this erosion in recent decades thanks to the efforts of the NRA and other gun owner organizations, but the default position of government is to disarm its citizens, because you can't force your will upon free men if you have to worry about them shooting you in retaliation.
Gun owners feel this keenly, since very nearly every law passed by government concerning guns is an erosion of freedom. There has been pushback against this erosion in recent decades thanks to the efforts of the NRA and other gun owner organizations, but the default position of government is to disarm its citizens, because you can't force your will upon free men if you have to worry about them shooting you in retaliation.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Scoring Points In the Culture War
You can watch the headlines and pretty much keep score, if you want to.
When atheists get a Nativity scene taken out of an Air Force base, score one for the Left.
When a "homo-punk" is removed from his posh job as national spokesman for the Girl Scouts, score one for the Right.
And so on, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
When atheists get a Nativity scene taken out of an Air Force base, score one for the Left.
When a "homo-punk" is removed from his posh job as national spokesman for the Girl Scouts, score one for the Right.
And so on, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
You Lie, We Won't Comply
"How Government Officials Doom Gun Registration Laws."
The problem for gun control advocates is that they keep promising that no way will registration lead to confiscation of firearms, even as it does just that.
Compliance figures are unlikely to drift upwards very far, when government officials promise that no harm will come to the law-abiding—and then use registration lists to snatch cowboy guns, or to send goon squads to the doors of people caught up in bar scuffles.
The problem for gun control advocates is that they keep promising that no way will registration lead to confiscation of firearms, even as it does just that.
Compliance figures are unlikely to drift upwards very far, when government officials promise that no harm will come to the law-abiding—and then use registration lists to snatch cowboy guns, or to send goon squads to the doors of people caught up in bar scuffles.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
You Say That Like It's a Bad Thing
"Children of horrifying incest 'cult' with four generations of in-breeding found living deformed, filthy and mute in scenic valley."
News headline...or next season's hit Hollywood reality show?
A leftist, hearing of this story without the location being revealed, would automatically presume it took place in West Virginia, or Mississippi, or Georgia...someplace like that. A conservative would hope it took place in California, while being secretly worried that it took place in West Virginia, Mississippi, or Georgia...someplace like that (hey, stereotypes exist for a reason, you know).
And not to put too fine a point on it, but doesn't this beautiful part of Australia rather resemble the idyllic Georgia of Deliverance notoriety? It only lacks the banjos and Ned Beatty:
News headline...or next season's hit Hollywood reality show?
A leftist, hearing of this story without the location being revealed, would automatically presume it took place in West Virginia, or Mississippi, or Georgia...someplace like that. A conservative would hope it took place in California, while being secretly worried that it took place in West Virginia, Mississippi, or Georgia...someplace like that (hey, stereotypes exist for a reason, you know).
And not to put too fine a point on it, but doesn't this beautiful part of Australia rather resemble the idyllic Georgia of Deliverance notoriety? It only lacks the banjos and Ned Beatty:
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Monday, December 09, 2013
Headline of the Day
"What's really in supermarket poultry: Chemical sludge. 'Meat glue'. Pig skin. If only water was ALL they pumped into your chicken."
Hell, just slather it with sweet red BBQ sauce, it won't matter.
Hell, just slather it with sweet red BBQ sauce, it won't matter.
Sunday, December 08, 2013
My Idea For Becoming Rich
Since it seems that Americans will buy any meaty item in a restaurant if it is described in an amusing way, e.g., Buffalo wings, chicken fingers - - I decided that the next step will be to sell boar penises in restaurants. Ever seen one? Here's a drawing:
And yes, it does have a corkscrew-shaped tip. It's known scientifically as a spiral glans penis. So when Porky gets romantic with Petunia, it actually does involve screwing. Therein lies the fun, for both the pig and the purveyor of boar penis for restaurants.
What you do, see, is cook them however most appeals to you - - bread 'em and deep-fry 'em, or bake them in an oven, whatever - - and, because of the spiral glans, you call 'em porkscrews. Or, alternatively, you can thread them on a bamboo skewer and call it dick on a stick. And don't tell me you wouldn't eat it. If you slather enough sweet red barbecue sauce on something, anyone will eat it. Hence the McRib.
And yes, it does have a corkscrew-shaped tip. It's known scientifically as a spiral glans penis. So when Porky gets romantic with Petunia, it actually does involve screwing. Therein lies the fun, for both the pig and the purveyor of boar penis for restaurants.
What you do, see, is cook them however most appeals to you - - bread 'em and deep-fry 'em, or bake them in an oven, whatever - - and, because of the spiral glans, you call 'em porkscrews. Or, alternatively, you can thread them on a bamboo skewer and call it dick on a stick. And don't tell me you wouldn't eat it. If you slather enough sweet red barbecue sauce on something, anyone will eat it. Hence the McRib.
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Friday, December 06, 2013
Meanwhile, Here In Charlotte, NC...
...or, more precisely, Indian Trail, NC (just a short trip down the road from me), a gold coin was dropped into a Salvation Army kettle at Wal-Mart.
Seems to happen every year, somewhere in the USA.
Seems to happen every year, somewhere in the USA.
Robert Crumb Talks About...
...Hunter S. Thompson, Annette Funicello, Scott Joplin, and many others.
Part 7 of a continuing series. You can see earlier links in the series by clicking on the crumb tag at the bottom of the post.
Part 7 of a continuing series. You can see earlier links in the series by clicking on the crumb tag at the bottom of the post.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
What Every Single Woman Needs
"Scrotal Sack" handbag.
Married women, of course, already have a similar handbag, courtesy of their husbands.
Married women, of course, already have a similar handbag, courtesy of their husbands.
What Went Wrong?
One man's notion, from a favorite book:
"Things won't ever be like they used to be."
"What went wrong with it all?" I asked.
"They shot off the buffalo, and they meat-hunted the game. They slaughtered the wildfowl, and they give the vote to the women. The women stirred up a ruckus about their menfolks spending too much time in the saloons, and so they got Prohibition and handmade corn whisky and what they call 'speakeasies' in the cities, where you can drink gin that was made out of embalming fluid and go blind for twice the price. They invented the automobile and the airy-o-plane and speeded everything up. They got mixed up in other people's wars and got to betting on the stock market and altogether they're in a hell of a mess. And no free lunch."
"Any cure for it?"
"Not much," the Old Man said. "People ain't like they used to be, either. A bunch of smart alecks, running around in circles like beheaded chickens, dancing the Charleston, and raising Hell in general. They tell me some fellows won't dance with a girl without she takes her corsets off."
"I wouldn't know about that," I said. "But I do know I'm hungry, and that moon tells me tomorrow's high tide, and we'll be up early. Let's go down to Pete's and get a hamburger or something."
The Old Man spat.
"A hamburger," he said, as if it was a cuss word. "A hamburger, at my age. Like I said, things ain't like they used to be. But I suppose from some standpoints, they never were."
From Chapter 27 of Robert Ruark's The Old Man and the Boy, "Terrapin Stew Costs Ten Bucks a Quart."
"Things won't ever be like they used to be."
"What went wrong with it all?" I asked.
"They shot off the buffalo, and they meat-hunted the game. They slaughtered the wildfowl, and they give the vote to the women. The women stirred up a ruckus about their menfolks spending too much time in the saloons, and so they got Prohibition and handmade corn whisky and what they call 'speakeasies' in the cities, where you can drink gin that was made out of embalming fluid and go blind for twice the price. They invented the automobile and the airy-o-plane and speeded everything up. They got mixed up in other people's wars and got to betting on the stock market and altogether they're in a hell of a mess. And no free lunch."
"Any cure for it?"
"Not much," the Old Man said. "People ain't like they used to be, either. A bunch of smart alecks, running around in circles like beheaded chickens, dancing the Charleston, and raising Hell in general. They tell me some fellows won't dance with a girl without she takes her corsets off."
"I wouldn't know about that," I said. "But I do know I'm hungry, and that moon tells me tomorrow's high tide, and we'll be up early. Let's go down to Pete's and get a hamburger or something."
The Old Man spat.
"A hamburger," he said, as if it was a cuss word. "A hamburger, at my age. Like I said, things ain't like they used to be. But I suppose from some standpoints, they never were."
From Chapter 27 of Robert Ruark's The Old Man and the Boy, "Terrapin Stew Costs Ten Bucks a Quart."
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
He Smote Them Hip and Thigh
"Pope Francis says he once worked as a bouncer."
Judges 15:8: And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
No word on whether His Holiness used the jawbone of an ass.
Judges 15:8: And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
No word on whether His Holiness used the jawbone of an ass.
Cressida Dick Is Unhappy
"After Snowden Revelations, a Changed World for Journalists."
The UK Guardian newspaper, that published the Snowden leaks, met with members of Parliament. The police were there too, in the person of one Cressida Dick.
The UK Guardian newspaper, that published the Snowden leaks, met with members of Parliament. The police were there too, in the person of one Cressida Dick.
Sanity Returning
"Seeing the Toll, Schools Revise Zero Tolerance."
Long overdue. Hope it applies to such acts as carrying a Swiss Army Knife to school, keeping aspirin in the purse, chewing a dessert into a gun shape, etc.
Long overdue. Hope it applies to such acts as carrying a Swiss Army Knife to school, keeping aspirin in the purse, chewing a dessert into a gun shape, etc.
Shipwreck Blog: Japanese I-400-Class Submarine, 1946
2300 feet down, near the coast of Hawaii.
It would have looked similar to this:
It was taken as a war prize by the US at the end of WWII and apparently was sunk to prevent the USSR from having access to its technology.
It would have looked similar to this:
It was taken as a war prize by the US at the end of WWII and apparently was sunk to prevent the USSR from having access to its technology.
Tolkien's Revolver
Webley Mark VI, carried by Tolkien in the trenches of the Western Front during WWI:
Looks like it's in good shape.
Looks like it's in good shape.
Monday, December 02, 2013
The Walking Dead Episode Review: Don't Look Back
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
The most exciting episode in a long time. Since it was a mid-season finale (more episodes coming in February), of course at least one major character gets killed, in this case poor Herschel. Herschel wore a serene smile as he met Rick's eyes for the last time, then it got ugly quickly as the Governor cut his throat with Michonne's katana, then pursued the dying man as he crawled across the grass and hacked his head off, precipitating the final battle for control of the prison. It's probable that, if anyone were to return to the prison after this battle, they'd find poor Herschel's head zombified. The firefight for the prison reminded me of old 1980's A-Team episodes, with lots of shooting but not enough fire discipline to hit anything. It was all spray-and-pray, with a few wounds here and there; Bob, Tyreese and Rick are all wounded by gunshot.
The Governor and Rick engage in a brutal fistfight, with the Governor getting the best of it, finally wrapping his hands around Rick's neck and choking him, at which point Michonne, having escaped earlier, stabs the Governor from behind with her katana, which she apparently retrieved. Her stabbing of the Governor very much resembled Aeris Gainsborough's death at the hands of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. The governor, dying, is finally killed by his female lover (can't recall her name offhand), whose daughter he had left behind supposedly in safety, but who had been killed by a walker.
Most of the prison gang escaped in a schoolbus, including Glenn, too weak from his bout with the zombie flu to take part in the battle. Maggie runs off to look for Herschel's daughter and thus misses the bus, but escapes after the last of the Governor's people are killed; Daryl Dixon, Tyreese, Rick and Carl are also left behind to find their way out of the now-walker-infested prison to rendezvous with the bus. Rick's baby daughter doesn't make it, having been devoured by a walker. Thankfully we are spared watching that particular death, if death it was.
The most exciting episode in a long time. Since it was a mid-season finale (more episodes coming in February), of course at least one major character gets killed, in this case poor Herschel. Herschel wore a serene smile as he met Rick's eyes for the last time, then it got ugly quickly as the Governor cut his throat with Michonne's katana, then pursued the dying man as he crawled across the grass and hacked his head off, precipitating the final battle for control of the prison. It's probable that, if anyone were to return to the prison after this battle, they'd find poor Herschel's head zombified. The firefight for the prison reminded me of old 1980's A-Team episodes, with lots of shooting but not enough fire discipline to hit anything. It was all spray-and-pray, with a few wounds here and there; Bob, Tyreese and Rick are all wounded by gunshot.
The Governor and Rick engage in a brutal fistfight, with the Governor getting the best of it, finally wrapping his hands around Rick's neck and choking him, at which point Michonne, having escaped earlier, stabs the Governor from behind with her katana, which she apparently retrieved. Her stabbing of the Governor very much resembled Aeris Gainsborough's death at the hands of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII. The governor, dying, is finally killed by his female lover (can't recall her name offhand), whose daughter he had left behind supposedly in safety, but who had been killed by a walker.
Most of the prison gang escaped in a schoolbus, including Glenn, too weak from his bout with the zombie flu to take part in the battle. Maggie runs off to look for Herschel's daughter and thus misses the bus, but escapes after the last of the Governor's people are killed; Daryl Dixon, Tyreese, Rick and Carl are also left behind to find their way out of the now-walker-infested prison to rendezvous with the bus. Rick's baby daughter doesn't make it, having been devoured by a walker. Thankfully we are spared watching that particular death, if death it was.
Sunday, December 01, 2013
King MacArthur, You Might Say
"King Arthur Was a Scot, Lived In Swamp: Historian."
Scotland may have a new, ancient celebrity to call its own, according to an amateur historian.
In a new book, Adam Ardrey claims King Arthur was actually Arthur Mac Aedan, the son of a Scottish king, whose "Camelot" was not Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, but a Scottish marsh — and that he pulled Excalibur from a stone in the same area in Argyll.
That's not all: Ardrey tells the Scotsman he's identified all 12 of Arthur's battle sites around Scotland, including where he died — near Falkirk, 12 miles from where his round table has supposedly been found — and the spot he was buried, on the island of Iona.
"The legendary Arthur is said to be buried in an island in the western seas — Avalon — but in the south of Britain there are no islands in the western seas," Ardrey says. "Iona fits all the criteria. It's an island where hundreds of kings were buried. Some say 128. Other members of Arthur Mac Aedan's family were buried there too."
Scotland may have a new, ancient celebrity to call its own, according to an amateur historian.
In a new book, Adam Ardrey claims King Arthur was actually Arthur Mac Aedan, the son of a Scottish king, whose "Camelot" was not Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, but a Scottish marsh — and that he pulled Excalibur from a stone in the same area in Argyll.
That's not all: Ardrey tells the Scotsman he's identified all 12 of Arthur's battle sites around Scotland, including where he died — near Falkirk, 12 miles from where his round table has supposedly been found — and the spot he was buried, on the island of Iona.
"The legendary Arthur is said to be buried in an island in the western seas — Avalon — but in the south of Britain there are no islands in the western seas," Ardrey says. "Iona fits all the criteria. It's an island where hundreds of kings were buried. Some say 128. Other members of Arthur Mac Aedan's family were buried there too."
Yet Another Reason To Go Armed
"In God We Trust, Maybe, But Not Each Other."
Something fundamental is lost when neighbor has no trust in neighbor. Every man for himself, Devil take the hindmost. It's not the American Way. It's difficult to see the US surviving as a nation if this trust isn't regained.
Something fundamental is lost when neighbor has no trust in neighbor. Every man for himself, Devil take the hindmost. It's not the American Way. It's difficult to see the US surviving as a nation if this trust isn't regained.
Dudley Dooright, Pothead
A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has had his uniforms confiscated by his superiors because he insisted on the right to smoke medical marijuana while wearing them.
"I worked hard for that uniform," he said. "I bled for that uniform. I cried for that uniform for 21 years ... . They ordered me to give the only thing that I've lived and identified with for 21 years."
No, they ordered you not to disgrace it by smoking pot while wearing it. You chose to disobey. You valued pot more highly than that uniform. I have no sympathy for you.
"I worked hard for that uniform," he said. "I bled for that uniform. I cried for that uniform for 21 years ... . They ordered me to give the only thing that I've lived and identified with for 21 years."
No, they ordered you not to disgrace it by smoking pot while wearing it. You chose to disobey. You valued pot more highly than that uniform. I have no sympathy for you.
How To Make a Wikiup
The Daily Caller branches out into survival content.
They already have some good gun content; if you don't have The Daily Caller on your RSS feed, you might consider adding it. Politics, guns, and now survival: necessary information for living in the Suffering States of Obama.
They already have some good gun content; if you don't have The Daily Caller on your RSS feed, you might consider adding it. Politics, guns, and now survival: necessary information for living in the Suffering States of Obama.
Just Get On the Ice Floe Already, Grandma
You'll forgive me, I hope, if I express the belief that this New York Times story is encouraging senior citizens to hurry up and shuffle off this mortal coil because they're taking too big a cut of the health care pie.
And why does it not surprise me that the writer, Daniel Callahan, is a co-director of the Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy? Seems to me that, whenever I see the word ethics invoked in an article like this, it requires some human being to die for the collective good, whether it is geezers (as here) or babies, as in discussions in the past by ethicists regarding post-birth abortions (their term, I call it infanticide).
And why does it not surprise me that the writer, Daniel Callahan, is a co-director of the Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy? Seems to me that, whenever I see the word ethics invoked in an article like this, it requires some human being to die for the collective good, whether it is geezers (as here) or babies, as in discussions in the past by ethicists regarding post-birth abortions (their term, I call it infanticide).
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Treasure Blog: 16th Century Coin Hoard, Lindisfarne Isle
Found by a workman in a clay pot, which he threw in the back of his van and stuck in a corner of his garage. Eight years later, cleaning the pot, gold and silver coins cascaded out of it.
Pic:
One of the coins is a gold scudo stamped with the likeness of Pope Clement VII, famous for refusing to permit the divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, which resulted in England breaking away from the Catholic Church. The coin is the first of its kind discovered in the world, the news report says, so presumably it's quite valuable.
Update: inadvertently identified that old English king as Henry VII vice Henry VIII. Thanks to ProudHillbilly for pointing it out.
Pic:
One of the coins is a gold scudo stamped with the likeness of Pope Clement VII, famous for refusing to permit the divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, which resulted in England breaking away from the Catholic Church. The coin is the first of its kind discovered in the world, the news report says, so presumably it's quite valuable.
Update: inadvertently identified that old English king as Henry VII vice Henry VIII. Thanks to ProudHillbilly for pointing it out.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Laugh Out Loud Irony Alert
"I'm not a particularly ideological person," said President Obama, who immediately afterward called for voters to give him a House of Representatives controlled by Democrats and Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. He then went on to blame Republicans for all of his woes as President.
Only thing I can conclude is the dude sincerely believes the bullshit he spouts.
Only thing I can conclude is the dude sincerely believes the bullshit he spouts.
Probably Americans Wouldn't Do Much Better
"When it comes to trees, we're stumped! Survey shows nine out of ten Brits struggle to recognise Holly leaves and don't know where conkers come from."
(Note: "Conkers" is a game played by boys in the UK, it involves drilling a hole in a Horse Chestnut, threading a string through it, and swinging the chestnut against another chestnut wielded by an opponent similarly armed. The chestnut that isn't broken by the engagement is the "winner." The horse chestnut itself, as well as the game, answers to the name "conkers.")
How many of you out there can identify an Ash tree? A Black Walnut? An Osage Orange? For that matter, how many of you can recognize Poison Ivy when you see it? Stinging Nettles? How many of you have ever seen a Wild Turkey out in the wilderness? A coyote? Red Fox? Do you know which snakes in your state are venomous? Can you identify them? Ever found an arrowhead in the woods? What about a geode? Have you ever, just for a lark, panned for gold in a local stream? Can you identify birds without seeing them, just by hearing them?
There's a whole other world out there to discover, if you just push away from the electronic devices and go in search of it. Or take the electronic device with you, and use it to identify what you find out there; easier than carrying a half-dozen guidebooks.
(Note: "Conkers" is a game played by boys in the UK, it involves drilling a hole in a Horse Chestnut, threading a string through it, and swinging the chestnut against another chestnut wielded by an opponent similarly armed. The chestnut that isn't broken by the engagement is the "winner." The horse chestnut itself, as well as the game, answers to the name "conkers.")
How many of you out there can identify an Ash tree? A Black Walnut? An Osage Orange? For that matter, how many of you can recognize Poison Ivy when you see it? Stinging Nettles? How many of you have ever seen a Wild Turkey out in the wilderness? A coyote? Red Fox? Do you know which snakes in your state are venomous? Can you identify them? Ever found an arrowhead in the woods? What about a geode? Have you ever, just for a lark, panned for gold in a local stream? Can you identify birds without seeing them, just by hearing them?
There's a whole other world out there to discover, if you just push away from the electronic devices and go in search of it. Or take the electronic device with you, and use it to identify what you find out there; easier than carrying a half-dozen guidebooks.
Going To Be Hard To Justify...
...shooting a man to death because he was smoking in your bar.
You better have a bunch of righteous witnesses, a bunch of contusions and bruises, or maybe a videotape to justify the shooting, because otherwise self-defense is going to be hard to win in a case like this.
You better have a bunch of righteous witnesses, a bunch of contusions and bruises, or maybe a videotape to justify the shooting, because otherwise self-defense is going to be hard to win in a case like this.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
You Can Relax Now
The New York Times has determined that the Knockout Game, in which gangs of blacks randomly attack vulnerable individuals of other races, is probably an "urban myth."
What was it Schopenhauer said? Oh, yes: All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. He might have added a fourth stage, which the MSM has engaged in in the case of the Knockout Game: ignoring it.
What was it Schopenhauer said? Oh, yes: All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. He might have added a fourth stage, which the MSM has engaged in in the case of the Knockout Game: ignoring it.
Labels:
crime,
hate crime,
knockout game,
lamestream media,
usual suspects
Friday, November 22, 2013
Prison Bounty Placed On Thugs
That would be the thugs that killed WWII veteran Delbert Belton, and the bounty was placed on the thugs by the Aryan Brotherhood.
Two Washington state teens accused of beating an 88-year-old World War II veteran to death are in the crosshairs of the Aryan Brotherhood.
The white supremacist group reportedly put a $10,000 bounty on Spokane teens Kenan Adams-Kinard and Demetrius Glenn, both 16 and black and both accused of murder, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
h/t Allen West.
Two Washington state teens accused of beating an 88-year-old World War II veteran to death are in the crosshairs of the Aryan Brotherhood.
The white supremacist group reportedly put a $10,000 bounty on Spokane teens Kenan Adams-Kinard and Demetrius Glenn, both 16 and black and both accused of murder, according to the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
h/t Allen West.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Yer Ancient Christian Lesson of the Day
In a UK Daily Mail article, the possibility of female priests in the Catholic Church is raised because of frescoes that have been unveiled in some of the Roman catacombs:
The central female with hands raised is theorized in the article to be a female priest. Sorry, but no. That is simply a form of early Christian prayer called orans, which is a prayer posture that replicates symbolically the posture of Christ on the cross. It was later supplanted by the folded hands posture that we are all familiar with.
The central female with hands raised is theorized in the article to be a female priest. Sorry, but no. That is simply a form of early Christian prayer called orans, which is a prayer posture that replicates symbolically the posture of Christ on the cross. It was later supplanted by the folded hands posture that we are all familiar with.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Yer REAL Hunger Games
Kimono vs. Komodo:
"Woman with a slab of meat tied to her has to outrun giant lizard in bizarre Japanese TV show."
Pic:
"Woman with a slab of meat tied to her has to outrun giant lizard in bizarre Japanese TV show."
Pic:
Monday, November 18, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Monroe Abuse Case Update
Neighbors are shocked - - shocked, that abuse was going on.
As of this writing only 46 news sources show up in a Google News search. Looks like the female involved was in charge of the Union County DSS department that handles child protective services, irony of ironies. Her male companion is an emergency room nurse at the Monroe hospital. The house they live(d) in looks like a set from Hee Haw, with barnyard animals running around out front; the abuse was discovered because a hog was running loose and rooting up the neighbor's yard:
As of this writing only 46 news sources show up in a Google News search. Looks like the female involved was in charge of the Union County DSS department that handles child protective services, irony of ironies. Her male companion is an emergency room nurse at the Monroe hospital. The house they live(d) in looks like a set from Hee Haw, with barnyard animals running around out front; the abuse was discovered because a hog was running loose and rooting up the neighbor's yard:
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Where'd She Go?
Beaumont, Texas.
In the haze of the Southeast Texas sky, the shape and color of the vessel is unmistakable — boxy and gray with a flat top and a superstructure perched on the right side of the deck.
The deck doesn't have quite enough room for a conventional fixed-wing aircraft, like a clunky old dive bomber from 70 years ago or a sleek and lethal supersonic spear of an F-18.
The ship, christened the Nassau, once served the country as a Tarawa-class helicopter assault carrier.
That class of ship is named for a grim island battle in World War II, which took a heavy toll on the Marines who fought it.
The Nassau was one of five of the amphibious assault ships and is now in the Inactive Ship Maintenance anchorage in the Neches River, where the Cape class of military cargo ships also are berthed.
I served aboard Nassau twice. First time we crossdecked from USS Belknap(CG-26) at sea, the Nassau sent an LCU to pick us up; we clambered down a netting ladder from the cruiser into the LCU, which sailed back to the Nassau and into her cavernous well deck. The second time I served on her as she went to relieve the USS Guam (LPH-6) in the eastern Mediterranean right around the time that the US Marine barracks in Lebanon got blown up. We crossdecked via helicopter on that trip, my only helicopter flight to date.
When the Tarawa-class LHA's were designed and built they didn't bother with fastening down the tables on the mess decks, using folding cafeteria-style tables instead, believing - - incorrectly, as it turned out - - that the ships wouldn't roll enough to require fastened-down mess tables. I remember eating chow more than once on the deck, with all of the tables roped off securely in one corner, as the ship rolled back and forth. Nassau and Saipan (LHA-2) both had probaby the best cinnamon rolls of any Navy ship I served on. I remember one sailor, though, a heavy smoker, who habitually carried a mini-bottle of Tabasco in his shirt pocket and I watched him put Tabasco on the cinnamon rolls one morning - - smoking had destroyed his sense of smell to the point where it as the only thing he could still taste.
In the haze of the Southeast Texas sky, the shape and color of the vessel is unmistakable — boxy and gray with a flat top and a superstructure perched on the right side of the deck.
The deck doesn't have quite enough room for a conventional fixed-wing aircraft, like a clunky old dive bomber from 70 years ago or a sleek and lethal supersonic spear of an F-18.
The ship, christened the Nassau, once served the country as a Tarawa-class helicopter assault carrier.
That class of ship is named for a grim island battle in World War II, which took a heavy toll on the Marines who fought it.
The Nassau was one of five of the amphibious assault ships and is now in the Inactive Ship Maintenance anchorage in the Neches River, where the Cape class of military cargo ships also are berthed.
I served aboard Nassau twice. First time we crossdecked from USS Belknap(CG-26) at sea, the Nassau sent an LCU to pick us up; we clambered down a netting ladder from the cruiser into the LCU, which sailed back to the Nassau and into her cavernous well deck. The second time I served on her as she went to relieve the USS Guam (LPH-6) in the eastern Mediterranean right around the time that the US Marine barracks in Lebanon got blown up. We crossdecked via helicopter on that trip, my only helicopter flight to date.
When the Tarawa-class LHA's were designed and built they didn't bother with fastening down the tables on the mess decks, using folding cafeteria-style tables instead, believing - - incorrectly, as it turned out - - that the ships wouldn't roll enough to require fastened-down mess tables. I remember eating chow more than once on the deck, with all of the tables roped off securely in one corner, as the ship rolled back and forth. Nassau and Saipan (LHA-2) both had probaby the best cinnamon rolls of any Navy ship I served on. I remember one sailor, though, a heavy smoker, who habitually carried a mini-bottle of Tabasco in his shirt pocket and I watched him put Tabasco on the cinnamon rolls one morning - - smoking had destroyed his sense of smell to the point where it as the only thing he could still taste.
Meanwhile, Just South of Monroe, NC...
...where they chain foster children to the porch with a dead chicken tied to its neck...
Later on, of course, they progress to tying people to trees and making them squeal like pigs:
A Union County social worker was one of two adults charged with intentional child abuse Friday after deputies found a child handcuffed to a porch with a dead chicken around his neck.
Dorian Lee Harper and Wanda Sue Larson, both 57, have been charged with numerous offenses after a deputy discovered the child at 4116 Austin Road, south of Monroe, authorities said.
Larson is employed as a supervisor with Union County Department of Social Services. She and Harper had adopted four children and were serving as foster parents for a fifth child, officials said.
A deputy was responding to an animal services complaint at a neighboring home Friday when he walked up to Harper’s and Larson’s residence and saw a “10-12-year-old child secured to the front porch at the ankle, by what appeared to be a pair of handcuffs,” officials said.
“The child also had a dead chicken hanging around his neck and appeared to be shivering,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Larson was not present when the children were discovered but is accused of being complicit in the ongoing mistreatment of the children, the Sheriff’s Office said. She was also charged with willful failure to discharge her duty as a public official.
The child handcuffed to the porch is the 11-year-old Harper and Larson had been fostering, authorities said. The children are now in custody of an undisclosed social services agency outside Union County.
Well, that ought to discourage immigration to this part of North Carolina for the forseeable future.
Update: It's on Drudge, so now the whole world knows about it.
Later on, of course, they progress to tying people to trees and making them squeal like pigs:
A Union County social worker was one of two adults charged with intentional child abuse Friday after deputies found a child handcuffed to a porch with a dead chicken around his neck.
Dorian Lee Harper and Wanda Sue Larson, both 57, have been charged with numerous offenses after a deputy discovered the child at 4116 Austin Road, south of Monroe, authorities said.
Larson is employed as a supervisor with Union County Department of Social Services. She and Harper had adopted four children and were serving as foster parents for a fifth child, officials said.
A deputy was responding to an animal services complaint at a neighboring home Friday when he walked up to Harper’s and Larson’s residence and saw a “10-12-year-old child secured to the front porch at the ankle, by what appeared to be a pair of handcuffs,” officials said.
“The child also had a dead chicken hanging around his neck and appeared to be shivering,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Larson was not present when the children were discovered but is accused of being complicit in the ongoing mistreatment of the children, the Sheriff’s Office said. She was also charged with willful failure to discharge her duty as a public official.
The child handcuffed to the porch is the 11-year-old Harper and Larson had been fostering, authorities said. The children are now in custody of an undisclosed social services agency outside Union County.
Well, that ought to discourage immigration to this part of North Carolina for the forseeable future.
Update: It's on Drudge, so now the whole world knows about it.
Labels:
chirrens,
crime,
cruelty,
NC,
peckerwoods
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
I Hate That Word
That word would be but. It's a negative sort of word, and when it's heard it is usually in a way that brings no pleasure to the hearer. It's heard often in the case of gun ownership: even our beloved President has famously said that he supports the Second Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms), but... with a whole list that follows of the ways in which he doesn't support it.
But showed up in the news again this morning, in a news article from UK:
'Ya cor do that!’ Anger over 'snobbish’ school letter BANNING children from using 'damaging' Black Country dialect.
Angry parents have complained after their children's school banned pupils from talking or writing in their 'damaging' Black Country dialect.
Staff at the West Midlands primary have drawn up a list of ten offending phrases after introducing the 'zero tolerance' policy against the use of local words.
The controversial ruling was announced in a letter to parents claiming the harsh crackdown would 'get children out of the habit' of speaking the way their parents do.
The ban comes two months after a study was published claiming that accents from the Birmingham area make people seem less intelligent and untrustworthy.
Outlawed phrases now include 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that,' and 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me'.
The letter, which was posted to parents last Thursday, said: 'Recently we asked each class teacher to write a list of the top ten most damaging phrases used by children in the classroom.
'We are introducing a ‘zero tolerance' in the classroom to get children out of the habit of using the phrases on the list.
'We want the children in our school to have the best start possible: Understanding when it is and is not acceptable to use slang and colloquial language.
'We value the local dialect but are encouraging children to learn the skill of turning it on and off in different situations.' Here's the entire list:
1. 'They was' instead of 'they were.'
2. 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that.'
3. 'Ya' instead of 'you.'
4. 'Gonna' instead of 'going to.'
5. 'Woz' instead of 'was.'
6. 'I day' instead of 'I didn't.'
7. 'I ain't' instead of 'I haven't.'
8. 'Somefink' instead of 'something.'
9. 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me.'
10. 'Ay?' instead of 'pardon?'
If you look at that list, you'll notice many of them are in common use by Americans. Now I commend the school for wishing to teach their children proper English, but...
It's nanny-statism. A child should be taught by parents the appropriate time for using local dialect and slang. That the school believes it necessary to impose this by fiat says that they don't believe parents are capable of instilling this lesson. And, if you haven't learned it by the time you get into the job market, you very quickly learn there that you either fix it or you don't get employed, at least not in genteel jobs, anyway. If you wish to have a career as a plumber or a dishwasher it's probably not that big a deal.
And I really hate "zero tolerance" policies. They're unnecessarily Draconian, and they remove common sense entirely from any equation in which they appear.
But showed up in the news again this morning, in a news article from UK:
'Ya cor do that!’ Anger over 'snobbish’ school letter BANNING children from using 'damaging' Black Country dialect.
Angry parents have complained after their children's school banned pupils from talking or writing in their 'damaging' Black Country dialect.
Staff at the West Midlands primary have drawn up a list of ten offending phrases after introducing the 'zero tolerance' policy against the use of local words.
The controversial ruling was announced in a letter to parents claiming the harsh crackdown would 'get children out of the habit' of speaking the way their parents do.
The ban comes two months after a study was published claiming that accents from the Birmingham area make people seem less intelligent and untrustworthy.
Outlawed phrases now include 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that,' and 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me'.
The letter, which was posted to parents last Thursday, said: 'Recently we asked each class teacher to write a list of the top ten most damaging phrases used by children in the classroom.
'We are introducing a ‘zero tolerance' in the classroom to get children out of the habit of using the phrases on the list.
'We want the children in our school to have the best start possible: Understanding when it is and is not acceptable to use slang and colloquial language.
'We value the local dialect but are encouraging children to learn the skill of turning it on and off in different situations.' Here's the entire list:
1. 'They was' instead of 'they were.'
2. 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that.'
3. 'Ya' instead of 'you.'
4. 'Gonna' instead of 'going to.'
5. 'Woz' instead of 'was.'
6. 'I day' instead of 'I didn't.'
7. 'I ain't' instead of 'I haven't.'
8. 'Somefink' instead of 'something.'
9. 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me.'
10. 'Ay?' instead of 'pardon?'
If you look at that list, you'll notice many of them are in common use by Americans. Now I commend the school for wishing to teach their children proper English, but...
It's nanny-statism. A child should be taught by parents the appropriate time for using local dialect and slang. That the school believes it necessary to impose this by fiat says that they don't believe parents are capable of instilling this lesson. And, if you haven't learned it by the time you get into the job market, you very quickly learn there that you either fix it or you don't get employed, at least not in genteel jobs, anyway. If you wish to have a career as a plumber or a dishwasher it's probably not that big a deal.
And I really hate "zero tolerance" policies. They're unnecessarily Draconian, and they remove common sense entirely from any equation in which they appear.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
From the Collection
EK Bowie:
Purchased in the mid-1980's, when EK first produced this great knife. USA-made in Richmond, VA. Used to carry it regularly when hiking until my Randall #1 arrived. It's been in storage for a bunch of years now. The sheath had clear plastic liner sheets that became brittle over time and fragmented when I was inspecting it, had to use tweezers to pull the broken remnants out. Without the liner sheets the nylon webbing sheath is a bit flimsy, if I were to begin carrying it again I'd want to get a new sheath made, probably in leather. The micarta handle feels really good in the hand, especially after I broke the sharp edges by sanding it with Scotchbrite.
At one time during the 1980's EK was a major competitor in the military knife market, right up there with SOG, Al Mar, Cold Steel and other knife companies of that period. They over-extended themselves and had to go into bankruptcy reorganization, and have been quiet (but not gone) ever since. They still make knives, their website is here. They're making some great-looking knives, I'd love to have one of their Fairbairn-Sykes models.
Purchased in the mid-1980's, when EK first produced this great knife. USA-made in Richmond, VA. Used to carry it regularly when hiking until my Randall #1 arrived. It's been in storage for a bunch of years now. The sheath had clear plastic liner sheets that became brittle over time and fragmented when I was inspecting it, had to use tweezers to pull the broken remnants out. Without the liner sheets the nylon webbing sheath is a bit flimsy, if I were to begin carrying it again I'd want to get a new sheath made, probably in leather. The micarta handle feels really good in the hand, especially after I broke the sharp edges by sanding it with Scotchbrite.
At one time during the 1980's EK was a major competitor in the military knife market, right up there with SOG, Al Mar, Cold Steel and other knife companies of that period. They over-extended themselves and had to go into bankruptcy reorganization, and have been quiet (but not gone) ever since. They still make knives, their website is here. They're making some great-looking knives, I'd love to have one of their Fairbairn-Sykes models.
Monday, November 11, 2013
She Loves Cats...To Death
In Raleigh, NC, a woman who worked as an animal rescue leader has been arrested for hoarding cats.
Sort of like a pedophile working in a pre-school, ain't it?
Sort of like a pedophile working in a pre-school, ain't it?
You Know Which Republican Could Become President?
Whichever one would go on MSNBC and punch Chris Matthews right in the face.
Just black his eye, bloody his nose, maybe knock a tooth or two out. It'll mean an assault charge, but that's a misdemeanor in nearly all jurisdictions, and the Republican that did it would be a superstar that evening.
Rand Paul is totally missing an opportunity here. And if it happened more than once - - Rand Paul on one occasion, Ted Cruz on another, for example - - the MSM would start watching their filthy mouths a little bit, maybe, and show some respect - - or at least fear.
Just black his eye, bloody his nose, maybe knock a tooth or two out. It'll mean an assault charge, but that's a misdemeanor in nearly all jurisdictions, and the Republican that did it would be a superstar that evening.
Rand Paul is totally missing an opportunity here. And if it happened more than once - - Rand Paul on one occasion, Ted Cruz on another, for example - - the MSM would start watching their filthy mouths a little bit, maybe, and show some respect - - or at least fear.
Labels:
cold civil war,
lamestream media,
politics
Sunday, November 10, 2013
When They Won't Write the Word, You Know What the Word Is
Looking through my RSS reader this morning, I come across this New York Times story about a shooting at a party in Houston:
Two people were killed and at least 22 others were injured when gunfire broke out late Saturday at what police said was a “massive house party” in a suburb of Houston.
More than 100 people were inside the home in Cypress when the shooting started about 11 p.m. Saturday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The injured, including some in critical condition, were taken to five different hospitals, by ambulance and by private vehicle. The police statement described the party guests as “mostly young adults”.
So I then do a Google News search on party shooting Houston. 26,200 results. Let's look at the first page of results:
Los Angeles Times: "Mostly young adults."
NPR (blog): "most of the injured were between 17-and 20-years-old."
Houston Chronicle: "More than 100 people, mostly young adults..." The Chronicle further quotes an "A. Henry" who was in the house. Wonder why they didn't print his first name? Would it have disclosed too much information, perhaps?
A more recent Chronicle story gives more information:
"It was my party," said Mariah Boulden, wrapped in a white sheet and standing on a sidewalk splattered with blood near her front door.
Saturday night, while she had walked out to invite some neighbors to the party, her brother and others continued with pat downs at the front door of her Cypress home. Two men refused to be searched and walked away, she recounted Sunday morning.
From what she's pieced together, the two jumped a neighbor's fence then walked through her back gate.
"They wasn't supposed to be here whoever they was," Boulden, 18, said.
Just as she was walking back to her house, Boulden said she heard gunshots. She ran to the front door, but it was locked. A cousin grabbed her and they ran down the street, calling 911.
"I didn't expect none of this to happen," she said.
If you didn't expect none of this to happen, why did you have your brothers searching partygoers for weapons?
Finally, a story from the local ABC affiliate includes a photograph, even while continuing to refuse to describe the partygoers in detail:
Well, that explains things, doesn't it?
Two people were killed and at least 22 others were injured when gunfire broke out late Saturday at what police said was a “massive house party” in a suburb of Houston.
More than 100 people were inside the home in Cypress when the shooting started about 11 p.m. Saturday, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The injured, including some in critical condition, were taken to five different hospitals, by ambulance and by private vehicle. The police statement described the party guests as “mostly young adults”.
So I then do a Google News search on party shooting Houston. 26,200 results. Let's look at the first page of results:
Los Angeles Times: "Mostly young adults."
NPR (blog): "most of the injured were between 17-and 20-years-old."
Houston Chronicle: "More than 100 people, mostly young adults..." The Chronicle further quotes an "A. Henry" who was in the house. Wonder why they didn't print his first name? Would it have disclosed too much information, perhaps?
A more recent Chronicle story gives more information:
"It was my party," said Mariah Boulden, wrapped in a white sheet and standing on a sidewalk splattered with blood near her front door.
Saturday night, while she had walked out to invite some neighbors to the party, her brother and others continued with pat downs at the front door of her Cypress home. Two men refused to be searched and walked away, she recounted Sunday morning.
From what she's pieced together, the two jumped a neighbor's fence then walked through her back gate.
"They wasn't supposed to be here whoever they was," Boulden, 18, said.
Just as she was walking back to her house, Boulden said she heard gunshots. She ran to the front door, but it was locked. A cousin grabbed her and they ran down the street, calling 911.
"I didn't expect none of this to happen," she said.
If you didn't expect none of this to happen, why did you have your brothers searching partygoers for weapons?
Finally, a story from the local ABC affiliate includes a photograph, even while continuing to refuse to describe the partygoers in detail:
Well, that explains things, doesn't it?
There's No Holiday That a Liberal Isn't Willing To Condemn
In Binghamton, New York, a liberal Catholic pastor isn't willing to participate in a collection that honors military service, saying that it represents an increase in "militarism in our culture."
Meanwhile, in UK, an equally liberal Anglican vicar is condemning one of Britain's most beloved hymns as a paean to nationalism.
Folks, there isn't a holiday in the US calendar that a liberal won't condemn for one reason or another, save perhaps Labor Day, which holds special meaning for their little Red hearts. Christmas? Too commercial, not inclusive enough, endangers the sacred Wall of Separation between church and state. Thanksgiving? A celebration of our exploitation of Native Americans. Columbus Day, likewise. Easter? Christian (makes spitting noise). Memorial Day and Veteran's Day? Glorify war. Independence Day? Patriotism is for retards. Presidents' Day? Slaveholders and racists.
Here's the hymn that the vicar condemns:
The music is by British composer Gustav Holst, and is a reworking of the Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity theme from The Planets:
Meanwhile, in UK, an equally liberal Anglican vicar is condemning one of Britain's most beloved hymns as a paean to nationalism.
Folks, there isn't a holiday in the US calendar that a liberal won't condemn for one reason or another, save perhaps Labor Day, which holds special meaning for their little Red hearts. Christmas? Too commercial, not inclusive enough, endangers the sacred Wall of Separation between church and state. Thanksgiving? A celebration of our exploitation of Native Americans. Columbus Day, likewise. Easter? Christian (makes spitting noise). Memorial Day and Veteran's Day? Glorify war. Independence Day? Patriotism is for retards. Presidents' Day? Slaveholders and racists.
Here's the hymn that the vicar condemns:
The music is by British composer Gustav Holst, and is a reworking of the Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity theme from The Planets:
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Restaurant Review: Moe's Original Bar B Que
Went down to Moe's Original Bar B Que down in Matthews, NC this afternoon for lunch. Was supposed to have a lunch companion, but I got stood up. Nice location for a restaurant, in a safe, yuppified area. The Matthews branch of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library is just at the end of the little drive, there are shops on both sides.
Inside the restaurant was clean and well lit from numerous windows; there are actually glass-enclosed garage-style doors that can be opened in the warm season to allow people to eat in the open air. They were close on this cool November day, of course.
I ordered a pork plate, which comes with two side items and corn bread; I chose mac 'n cheese and Brunswick stew. The mac 'n cheese was oven baked and good, although not very cheesy. The cornbread had a good flavor. The Brunswick stew was tasty, although most of the small bowl was taken up by a couple of huge potato chunks, which I had to cut apart with my spoon. The pulled pork was moist but without much in the way of smoke flavor or evidence of a smoke ring; I guess it was cooked on gas or in an electric smoker (there is a woodpile at the back of the restaurant, which was covered by a tarp, for what that's worth). The pork came from the kitchen with some barbecue sauce on top, a red tomato-based sauce; once I determined that the pork itself didn't have much flavor, I helped myself to the sauce bottle to add some additional flavor. The sauce was undistinguished, also. Here's what the food looked like:
All in all, although it's a great location and is a clean, attractive restaurant, the BBQ isn't all that memorable; I'll give it a 3 on my 5-scale of BBQ restaurants: 3 out of 5: average; reasonably good food, moderate effort by staff/management.
Inside the restaurant was clean and well lit from numerous windows; there are actually glass-enclosed garage-style doors that can be opened in the warm season to allow people to eat in the open air. They were close on this cool November day, of course.
I ordered a pork plate, which comes with two side items and corn bread; I chose mac 'n cheese and Brunswick stew. The mac 'n cheese was oven baked and good, although not very cheesy. The cornbread had a good flavor. The Brunswick stew was tasty, although most of the small bowl was taken up by a couple of huge potato chunks, which I had to cut apart with my spoon. The pulled pork was moist but without much in the way of smoke flavor or evidence of a smoke ring; I guess it was cooked on gas or in an electric smoker (there is a woodpile at the back of the restaurant, which was covered by a tarp, for what that's worth). The pork came from the kitchen with some barbecue sauce on top, a red tomato-based sauce; once I determined that the pork itself didn't have much flavor, I helped myself to the sauce bottle to add some additional flavor. The sauce was undistinguished, also. Here's what the food looked like:
All in all, although it's a great location and is a clean, attractive restaurant, the BBQ isn't all that memorable; I'll give it a 3 on my 5-scale of BBQ restaurants: 3 out of 5: average; reasonably good food, moderate effort by staff/management.
Sowin' Those Wild Oats
In a pickup truck at a Waffle House parking lot, so drunk you mistook a cheeseburger for a sandal.
This article made it to the UK Daily Mail, probably the most popular paper in the UK. So this is how the Brits form their stereotypes of US citizens.
This article made it to the UK Daily Mail, probably the most popular paper in the UK. So this is how the Brits form their stereotypes of US citizens.
Friday, November 08, 2013
Thank You, Mr. President
Because for the next three years, there will be nothing you can say that cannot be inserted into the following sentence:
If you like your (fill in the blank), you can keep your (fill in the blank).
If you like your (fill in the blank), you can keep your (fill in the blank).
Correct Usage Pnemonic
Travelling in Spain, where King Juan Carlos reigns, I reined in my horse and scanned the plain. "Hard to see in all this rain," thought I. "Are those giants I see in the distance?" Alas, they were only windmills. "Shut up, Sancho!"
Meanwhile, Down In Wilmington, NC...
...the Usual Suspects declare war on the Wilmington Police Department:
Members of one Wilmington gang are "committed to engage in shootings," possibly focusing on law enforcement, after the shooting death of Brandon Devone Smith, according to an FBI memo sent to the state's police chiefs.
Smith was shot to death Oct. 13 by two New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputies and an ATF agent three days after allegedly firing on Michael Spencer, a member of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and sheriff's office detective, in Creekwood.
Click the link to read the rest. I guess you could call this a "travel advisory."
Members of one Wilmington gang are "committed to engage in shootings," possibly focusing on law enforcement, after the shooting death of Brandon Devone Smith, according to an FBI memo sent to the state's police chiefs.
Smith was shot to death Oct. 13 by two New Hanover County Sheriff's Office deputies and an ATF agent three days after allegedly firing on Michael Spencer, a member of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and sheriff's office detective, in Creekwood.
Click the link to read the rest. I guess you could call this a "travel advisory."
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Another WWII Veteran Murdered
This one not too far away, in Richfield, NC.
His daughter was also beaten severely. No description of the murderer until she's awake and able to communicate, I guess.
His daughter was also beaten severely. No description of the murderer until she's awake and able to communicate, I guess.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
Musical Interlude
Slaid Cleaves, Voice of Midnight:
You can look at the film footage if you like; pay attention to the lyrics, though.
You can look at the film footage if you like; pay attention to the lyrics, though.
Monday, November 04, 2013
"Obama Strikes"
He's really good at killing people:
Whether uttered in jest or in resignation, the Obama quote will only add to the concerns of those wondering whether the president has embraced the Godlike, life-and-death power of the Oval Office. After campaigning against the intense interrogation procedures pursued under President George W. Bush, Obama has vastly expanded the drone program. Despite its intense unpopularity overseas, in part because of civilian casualties and in part because of its unclear, secretive mandates, the Pakistan drone program continues as it has since 2004.
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the CIA has conducted 378 strikes in the program’s 10-year history. Of those, 326 are classified as “Obama strikes.” The total number of people killed by drones is estimated at 2,528 to 3,648. Civilian casualties are estimated at 416 to 948, with 168 to 200 of those being children. As many as another 1,545 are estimated to have been injured in those strikes.
Whether uttered in jest or in resignation, the Obama quote will only add to the concerns of those wondering whether the president has embraced the Godlike, life-and-death power of the Oval Office. After campaigning against the intense interrogation procedures pursued under President George W. Bush, Obama has vastly expanded the drone program. Despite its intense unpopularity overseas, in part because of civilian casualties and in part because of its unclear, secretive mandates, the Pakistan drone program continues as it has since 2004.
According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the CIA has conducted 378 strikes in the program’s 10-year history. Of those, 326 are classified as “Obama strikes.” The total number of people killed by drones is estimated at 2,528 to 3,648. Civilian casualties are estimated at 416 to 948, with 168 to 200 of those being children. As many as another 1,545 are estimated to have been injured in those strikes.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
Treasure Blog: Artworks Thought Lost Are Found
Paintings that were seized by the Nazis have been found in a Munich apartment.
Apparently the man who's been in possession of them has been selling them piecemeal down through the years, living quietly on the profits.
Apparently the man who's been in possession of them has been selling them piecemeal down through the years, living quietly on the profits.
Indoctrination Chronicles #9
Parents in Scottsdale, Arizona, withdrew their 8-year-old boy from a local school after the principal threatened the boy with expulsion - - for drawing pictures of a ninja, a soldier and a Star Wars character that were ideas for Halloween costumes - - because the drawings included guns and knives.
To be totally fair, this particular school sounds like a private school rather than a public school, but it's indoctrination just the same.
h/t Knuckledraggin' My Life Away.
To be totally fair, this particular school sounds like a private school rather than a public school, but it's indoctrination just the same.
h/t Knuckledraggin' My Life Away.
Saturday, November 02, 2013
Friday, November 01, 2013
It Pierced His Widdle Heart!
A man in Moyock, NC, had to be hospitalized after he was attacked by four escaped monkeys.
"Police captured two of the monkeys. Two others were shot with tranquilizers, one of which died after the tranquilizer pierced his little heart."
It pierced his widdle heart! ROFLMAO!
The mehnkey, c'est mort!
"Police captured two of the monkeys. Two others were shot with tranquilizers, one of which died after the tranquilizer pierced his little heart."
It pierced his widdle heart! ROFLMAO!
The mehnkey, c'est mort!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Re-Reading True Grit
I'm re-reading Charles Portis' classic western novel True Grit. I found a gun error by Portis toward the end of the book. It's established early on that Rooster Cogburn carries a Colt revolver in .44-40, and that his Winchester rifle is also chambered in this caliber. That would make the revolver in question most likely a Colt Frontier, which is a single-action revolver loaded via a loading gate, just as the Colt .45 Peacemaker is. Yet, in the passage where Rooster, an Indian police officer and LaBoeuf engage in a bit of impromptu target practice shooting at corn dodgers, we find this:
Rooster was holding a bottle with a little whiskey in it. He said, "You keep on thinking that." He drained off the whiskey in about three swallows and tapped the cork back in and tossed the bottle up in the air. He pulled his revolver and fired at it twice and missed. The bottle fell and rolled and Rooster shot at it two or three more times and broke it on the ground. He got out his sack of cartridges and reloaded the pistol. He said, "The Chinaman is running them cheap shells in on me again."
LaBoeuf said, "I thought maybe the sun was in your eyes. That is to say, your eye."
Rooster swung the cylinder back in his revolver and said, "Eyes, is it? I'll show you eyes!"
There ya go. You can only swing the cylinder back in on a revolver that has that feature, which the Colt Frontier didn't. The first Colt revolver to feature a swing-out cylinder was the Model 1889, and that revolver wasn't chambered in .44-40.
Rooster was holding a bottle with a little whiskey in it. He said, "You keep on thinking that." He drained off the whiskey in about three swallows and tapped the cork back in and tossed the bottle up in the air. He pulled his revolver and fired at it twice and missed. The bottle fell and rolled and Rooster shot at it two or three more times and broke it on the ground. He got out his sack of cartridges and reloaded the pistol. He said, "The Chinaman is running them cheap shells in on me again."
LaBoeuf said, "I thought maybe the sun was in your eyes. That is to say, your eye."
Rooster swung the cylinder back in his revolver and said, "Eyes, is it? I'll show you eyes!"
There ya go. You can only swing the cylinder back in on a revolver that has that feature, which the Colt Frontier didn't. The first Colt revolver to feature a swing-out cylinder was the Model 1889, and that revolver wasn't chambered in .44-40.
Just Call Him El Pronto Mucho Fasto
Hell, if I'd done this, I'd go to court and petition for a name change:
TULSA, Oklahoma - Police are searching for a burglar who was shot multiple times. He was caught in the act by a homeowner, who showed no mercy.
The homeowner who shot Watts said it's a shame that Watts broke into his house looking for gold and left full of lead.
Charles Sweeny has lived in the same home in midtown Tulsa for nearly six decades, so you can only imagine what went through his mind when he noticed things inside weren't how he left them.
"Mother's dresser drawer was open, so I knew I had walked in to a burglary. I took care of that problem el pronto mucho fasto," Sweeny said.
Sweeny said he hopes this is a lesson for anyone else who comes inside his house uninvited.
"The next burglar gets the same treatment with a bigger gun," Sweeny said.
This news story is so full of win it should be framed.
h/t Bearing Arms.
TULSA, Oklahoma - Police are searching for a burglar who was shot multiple times. He was caught in the act by a homeowner, who showed no mercy.
The homeowner who shot Watts said it's a shame that Watts broke into his house looking for gold and left full of lead.
Charles Sweeny has lived in the same home in midtown Tulsa for nearly six decades, so you can only imagine what went through his mind when he noticed things inside weren't how he left them.
"Mother's dresser drawer was open, so I knew I had walked in to a burglary. I took care of that problem el pronto mucho fasto," Sweeny said.
Sweeny said he hopes this is a lesson for anyone else who comes inside his house uninvited.
"The next burglar gets the same treatment with a bigger gun," Sweeny said.
This news story is so full of win it should be framed.
h/t Bearing Arms.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
I'd Like One of Those Belts, Myself.
That would be a belt made from the hide of an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
The Eastern Diamondback is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of the US's rattlesnakes. It's also one of the few rattlesnakes in the US that gets long enough to provide leather to make a belt out of. The conservation status of the Eastern Diamondback is currently "least concern," but that is probably inaccurate, and putting them on the endangered species list as at least threatened would probably be wise. They've been wiped out in Louisiana, and here in NC they are on the state's endangered species list.
Still, if I happened across a fresh roadkilled specimen 5 feet long on a trip to the NC coast, I'd certainly stop and skin it out and save it to tan for a belt.
Found this hilarious bogus edit on Wikipedia:
The Eastern Diamondback is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of the US's rattlesnakes. It's also one of the few rattlesnakes in the US that gets long enough to provide leather to make a belt out of. The conservation status of the Eastern Diamondback is currently "least concern," but that is probably inaccurate, and putting them on the endangered species list as at least threatened would probably be wise. They've been wiped out in Louisiana, and here in NC they are on the state's endangered species list.
Still, if I happened across a fresh roadkilled specimen 5 feet long on a trip to the NC coast, I'd certainly stop and skin it out and save it to tan for a belt.
Found this hilarious bogus edit on Wikipedia:
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
I Don't Remember That From Matthew 25
[34] “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. [35] ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; [36] naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
You notice there is nothing in that passage about coming to the prison with meth:
"Mom Accused Of Smuggling Meth in Bible Visiting Daughter in Jail."
Must be one of those newer translations.
You notice there is nothing in that passage about coming to the prison with meth:
"Mom Accused Of Smuggling Meth in Bible Visiting Daughter in Jail."
Must be one of those newer translations.
OoooOooo That Smell...Can't Ya Smell That Smell...
...the smell of cock around you...
The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California factory.
The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the plant is a public nuisance.
City officials say residents have been complaining of burning eyes, irritated throats and headaches and that some people have had to leave their house to escape the smell.
They should try living next to a paper mill sometime.
The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California factory.
The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the plant is a public nuisance.
City officials say residents have been complaining of burning eyes, irritated throats and headaches and that some people have had to leave their house to escape the smell.
They should try living next to a paper mill sometime.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Encountered During Walk
Worm Snake. Tiny little thing. It was on the asphalt of the road, I moved it over into the grass. About 8" or so.
He Missed His Wakeup Call
A Usual Suspect™ who died in a shootout with police during a robbery at a Pizza Hut restaurant was only out on the street because charges against him for a home invasion back in February had been dismissed.
Here we see two classic problems in our criminal justice system: the revolving door, and the failure to rehabilitate. The one is the fault of the governments involved, the other is the fault of the individual. Only the individual can resolve to clean up his/her act and behave like a civilized human being. In this particular case that resolution was not made, so he ended up in a morgue with a tag on his toe. He may be briefly mourned by the bitch that whelped him and his baby mama, but society is well rid of him and his violent behavior.
Here we see two classic problems in our criminal justice system: the revolving door, and the failure to rehabilitate. The one is the fault of the governments involved, the other is the fault of the individual. Only the individual can resolve to clean up his/her act and behave like a civilized human being. In this particular case that resolution was not made, so he ended up in a morgue with a tag on his toe. He may be briefly mourned by the bitch that whelped him and his baby mama, but society is well rid of him and his violent behavior.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Mistaken Identification
Not identity, but indentification. That's what happened up in Canada where someone mistook bear paws for human hands. The paws were partially decomposed, which presumably made the mistake possible. Doing a search on Google brings back lots of stories of the same error.
I remember reading an eerie short story a long time ago about a boy lost in the woods who stumbles across a cabin, with a chopping block out back, and a pile of what the boy took to be human hands beside the block, which turn out to be bear paws. Do any of you recall that story, or who wrote it?
I remember reading an eerie short story a long time ago about a boy lost in the woods who stumbles across a cabin, with a chopping block out back, and a pile of what the boy took to be human hands beside the block, which turn out to be bear paws. Do any of you recall that story, or who wrote it?
Saturday, October 26, 2013
How You Know You're In the 21st Century
"Finally, a police robot entered the home and told him to surrender."
How you know you're in the United States of America:
"Then the police robot shot and killed the family dog."*
*Just kidding.
How you know you're in the United States of America:
"Then the police robot shot and killed the family dog."*
*Just kidding.
Another WWII Veteran Murdered...
...by the Usual Suspects™:
Four teenagers are being charged with capital murder in the fatal mugging of 87-year-old Lawrence E. 'Shine' Thornton of Greenville, Mississippi.
‘Shine’ was a World War II veteran and a famous personality in the Delta region for his hot tamales. They were known as ‘Maria’s Famous Hot Tamales’, named after his wife Mary. He was crowned king of the 2012 Delta Hot Tamale Festival.
According to Greenville police, Thornton was killed after being accosted in his own driveway on Oct. 18. He was pushed down and his wallet stolen.
He passed away from his injuries two days later at the University Of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Gotta get paid. Fucking animals.
Here's a video of the old fellow talking about how he began cooking tamales:
Four teenagers are being charged with capital murder in the fatal mugging of 87-year-old Lawrence E. 'Shine' Thornton of Greenville, Mississippi.
‘Shine’ was a World War II veteran and a famous personality in the Delta region for his hot tamales. They were known as ‘Maria’s Famous Hot Tamales’, named after his wife Mary. He was crowned king of the 2012 Delta Hot Tamale Festival.
According to Greenville police, Thornton was killed after being accosted in his own driveway on Oct. 18. He was pushed down and his wallet stolen.
He passed away from his injuries two days later at the University Of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Gotta get paid. Fucking animals.
Here's a video of the old fellow talking about how he began cooking tamales:
Labels:
crime,
food,
usual suspects,
veterans,
why god why
Meanwhile, Down In Wilmington, NC...
...police engaged in a gunfight with three armed robbers outside a Pizza Hut restaurant.
Result: two dead robbers and one hospitalized with injuries (gunshot wounds, presumably).
I always like reading stories like this, because it means that two of these lowlifes are permanently out of the violent crime business, and won't ever be plaguing honest citizens ever again. Saves state and local government a lot of money, too.
Result: two dead robbers and one hospitalized with injuries (gunshot wounds, presumably).
I always like reading stories like this, because it means that two of these lowlifes are permanently out of the violent crime business, and won't ever be plaguing honest citizens ever again. Saves state and local government a lot of money, too.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Thomas Sowell Worries About a Race War
Of course, being a black conservative writer his warning will automatically be dismissed.
One of the reasons for being glad to be as old as I am is that I may be spared living to see a race war in America. Race wars are often wars in which nobody wins and everybody ends up much worse off than they were before.
Initial skirmishes in that race war have already begun, and have in fact been going on for some years. But public officials pretend that it is not happening, and the mainstream media seldom publish it at all, except in ways that conceal what is really taking place.
For American society, a dangerous polarization has set in. Signs of this polarization over the years include opposite reactions between blacks and whites to the verdict in the O. J. Simpson murder case, the “rape” charges against Duke University students, and the trials resulting from the beating of Rodney King and the death of Trayvon Martin.
More dangerous than these highly publicized episodes over the years are innumerable organized and unprovoked physical attacks on whites by young black gangs in shopping malls, on beaches, and in other public places all across the country today.
Read the whole thing. This is the real reason for the concealed carry movement, folks. You can talk about preparing for a "zombie apocalypse" all you want; you know damned well that the real menace is a race war, and that black thugs are often already armed in violation of all gun control laws. Look at any major city's robbery reporting - - by and large, violent robbery wears a black face - - if your local newspaper is even willing to mention the race of robbery suspects, that is. The Wilmington, NC Star-News, for example, is very good at providing detailed descriptions - - of the clothing worn by robbers. Descriptions of the robbers themselves are not so forthcoming. Charleston, SC's Post & Courier News is far more honest - - photographs of the offender is prominently displayed at the top of any crime story there.
What can you do? Start by reading John Derbyshire's The Talk: Nonblack Version. Derbyshire was fired from his writing gig at National Review Online for writing it, and thus falling foul of the PC police (it's ironic that Sowell is publishing his piece in National Review itself, proving again that a double standard exists). Start the process of getting your CCW license, if you haven't already (I need to do this myself). And, if you're the praying sort, pray that Sowell's worry doesn't become reality.
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars
One of the reasons for being glad to be as old as I am is that I may be spared living to see a race war in America. Race wars are often wars in which nobody wins and everybody ends up much worse off than they were before.
Initial skirmishes in that race war have already begun, and have in fact been going on for some years. But public officials pretend that it is not happening, and the mainstream media seldom publish it at all, except in ways that conceal what is really taking place.
For American society, a dangerous polarization has set in. Signs of this polarization over the years include opposite reactions between blacks and whites to the verdict in the O. J. Simpson murder case, the “rape” charges against Duke University students, and the trials resulting from the beating of Rodney King and the death of Trayvon Martin.
More dangerous than these highly publicized episodes over the years are innumerable organized and unprovoked physical attacks on whites by young black gangs in shopping malls, on beaches, and in other public places all across the country today.
Read the whole thing. This is the real reason for the concealed carry movement, folks. You can talk about preparing for a "zombie apocalypse" all you want; you know damned well that the real menace is a race war, and that black thugs are often already armed in violation of all gun control laws. Look at any major city's robbery reporting - - by and large, violent robbery wears a black face - - if your local newspaper is even willing to mention the race of robbery suspects, that is. The Wilmington, NC Star-News, for example, is very good at providing detailed descriptions - - of the clothing worn by robbers. Descriptions of the robbers themselves are not so forthcoming. Charleston, SC's Post & Courier News is far more honest - - photographs of the offender is prominently displayed at the top of any crime story there.
What can you do? Start by reading John Derbyshire's The Talk: Nonblack Version. Derbyshire was fired from his writing gig at National Review Online for writing it, and thus falling foul of the PC police (it's ironic that Sowell is publishing his piece in National Review itself, proving again that a double standard exists). Start the process of getting your CCW license, if you haven't already (I need to do this myself). And, if you're the praying sort, pray that Sowell's worry doesn't become reality.
h/t Sipsey Street Irregulars
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