"Drunk Broker Boosted Oil Prices For Eight Months In 2009."
The free markets at work, huh?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Result of Life Without Parole
"Inmates Over 50 Fastest Growing Prison Population."
That's the result you get when you discontinue the use of the death penalty and substitute "life without parole." You then have to accept that you'll be funding the care of those felons for the rest of their natural lives. Prediction: you'll see both liberals and conservatives clamoring for these senior citizen felons to be released; the liberals will demand it on "humanitarian" grounds, claiming the felons are now too old to harm anyone; the conservatives will demand it on economic grounds, not wanting the taxpayers burdened with their care.
That's the result you get when you discontinue the use of the death penalty and substitute "life without parole." You then have to accept that you'll be funding the care of those felons for the rest of their natural lives. Prediction: you'll see both liberals and conservatives clamoring for these senior citizen felons to be released; the liberals will demand it on "humanitarian" grounds, claiming the felons are now too old to harm anyone; the conservatives will demand it on economic grounds, not wanting the taxpayers burdened with their care.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Nothing But Tragedy And Anguish To This One
A man shoots a masked, knife-wielding intruder to death...only to discover it is his own son.
A popular fifth-grade teacher fatally shot a masked, knife-wielding prowler outside his house during what appeared to be a late-night burglary attempt, only to discover he had killed his 15-year-old son, police say.
"It's something out of a Hollywood script," said John Hodge, the first selectman, or top elected official, in the town of about 14,000 people. He said he couldn't recall another killing in his eight years on the job.
No immediate charges were brought against the father, Jeffrey Giuliano, in the shooting of his son, Tyler, around 1 a.m. Thursday. Police said they were investigating whether the father's handgun was registered.
State police said Jeffrey Giuliano got a call from his sister next door saying that someone might be trying to break into her home. Giuliano grabbed a gun and went outside to investigate, troopers said.
,br> He confronted someone in a black ski mask and black clothing and opened fire when the person came at him with a knife, police said.
When officers arrived, the teen was lying in the driveway of his aunt's home with gunshot wounds and the father was sitting on the grass. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene. A state trooper pulled back the ski mask to reveal that the victim was Tyler Giuliano. It was unclear if his father had already realized it by then.
A popular fifth-grade teacher fatally shot a masked, knife-wielding prowler outside his house during what appeared to be a late-night burglary attempt, only to discover he had killed his 15-year-old son, police say.
"It's something out of a Hollywood script," said John Hodge, the first selectman, or top elected official, in the town of about 14,000 people. He said he couldn't recall another killing in his eight years on the job.
No immediate charges were brought against the father, Jeffrey Giuliano, in the shooting of his son, Tyler, around 1 a.m. Thursday. Police said they were investigating whether the father's handgun was registered.
State police said Jeffrey Giuliano got a call from his sister next door saying that someone might be trying to break into her home. Giuliano grabbed a gun and went outside to investigate, troopers said.
,br> He confronted someone in a black ski mask and black clothing and opened fire when the person came at him with a knife, police said.
When officers arrived, the teen was lying in the driveway of his aunt's home with gunshot wounds and the father was sitting on the grass. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene. A state trooper pulled back the ski mask to reveal that the victim was Tyler Giuliano. It was unclear if his father had already realized it by then.
He Smiled As He Jabbed His Stinger In Her
Well, that's my story. Yours may vary. But here's the pictorial proof:
Say "Buttsex!"
And tell me you wouldn't scream like a girl yourself if that thing jumped out of the water and onto your back.
And tell me you wouldn't scream like a girl yourself if that thing jumped out of the water and onto your back.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Try This Shooting Drill?
The Modified Navy Qualification Drill.
Developed by former Navy SEAL Jeff Gonzales, the MNQ Drill is based on a portion of a course of fire previously used by the U.S. Navy when conducting rifle qualification. As such, it is intended to be shot with an AR or other semi-automatic. The MNQ Drill incorporates three firing positions, magazine changes, some movement and a timer to add a bit of stress. There’s a lot going on in this drill, but you’ll need only 15 rounds to shoot it.
Place a target with an 8-inch center zone at 50 yards. (A paper plate stapled to the chest area of a silhouette target works great.) Load three magazines with five rounds each. At the firing line, assume a low-ready position with the rifle loaded. When the buzzer sounds, fire five rounds from the standing position. Reload, and fire five rounds from the kneeling position. Reload again, and fire your last five rounds from the prone position. The clock stops when you fire your final shot from prone.
The par time for the MNQ Drill is 25 seconds, and only hits in the 8-inch target zone count. You start with a score of 0, and are penalized for misses and time over par. The goal is to keep your score as low as possible. Add 5 points for every miss and 2 points for every second over par. Subtract 1 point for every second under par. For example, if you shoot the drill in 35 seconds with two misses, your score would be 30—20 points for the 10 seconds over par and 10 points for the pair of misses. If you shoot the drill clean in 22 seconds, your score would be -3.
Sounds like a good test of marksmanship and motor skills, doesn't it?
Developed by former Navy SEAL Jeff Gonzales, the MNQ Drill is based on a portion of a course of fire previously used by the U.S. Navy when conducting rifle qualification. As such, it is intended to be shot with an AR or other semi-automatic. The MNQ Drill incorporates three firing positions, magazine changes, some movement and a timer to add a bit of stress. There’s a lot going on in this drill, but you’ll need only 15 rounds to shoot it.
Place a target with an 8-inch center zone at 50 yards. (A paper plate stapled to the chest area of a silhouette target works great.) Load three magazines with five rounds each. At the firing line, assume a low-ready position with the rifle loaded. When the buzzer sounds, fire five rounds from the standing position. Reload, and fire five rounds from the kneeling position. Reload again, and fire your last five rounds from the prone position. The clock stops when you fire your final shot from prone.
The par time for the MNQ Drill is 25 seconds, and only hits in the 8-inch target zone count. You start with a score of 0, and are penalized for misses and time over par. The goal is to keep your score as low as possible. Add 5 points for every miss and 2 points for every second over par. Subtract 1 point for every second under par. For example, if you shoot the drill in 35 seconds with two misses, your score would be 30—20 points for the 10 seconds over par and 10 points for the pair of misses. If you shoot the drill clean in 22 seconds, your score would be -3.
Sounds like a good test of marksmanship and motor skills, doesn't it?
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Researchers seem to think that if you curse a lot on Twitter, or Tweet the words "die," "kill," or "buy" often, you're probably a psychopath.
No, really. That's what they think:
Wald and Taghi Khoshgoftaar, a professor of engineering and computer science, used an already existing psychological formula to determine how likely someone is to be psychopathic by their writing. Using a process called data mining, they developed an algorithm that would scan the tweets of nearly 3,000 volunteers. It found that about 1.4 percent of users showed psychopathic tendencies, similar to the population as a whole, based on their Tweets and a questionnaire.
The results have limitations, the researchers said. For example, the computer program didn't recognize abbreviated versions of words, which are common on Twitter due to the 140-character limits. It also can't recognize the difference between someone using a word such as "kill" in an angry way or an off-handed joking way, such as "I could kill him for this."
Of course, that reminded me of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's restaurant:
So we were all jumping up and down, yelling "Kill! Kill!" and the sergeant came over, pinned a medal on me, sent me down the hall, said "You're our boy!"
No, really. That's what they think:
Wald and Taghi Khoshgoftaar, a professor of engineering and computer science, used an already existing psychological formula to determine how likely someone is to be psychopathic by their writing. Using a process called data mining, they developed an algorithm that would scan the tweets of nearly 3,000 volunteers. It found that about 1.4 percent of users showed psychopathic tendencies, similar to the population as a whole, based on their Tweets and a questionnaire.
The results have limitations, the researchers said. For example, the computer program didn't recognize abbreviated versions of words, which are common on Twitter due to the 140-character limits. It also can't recognize the difference between someone using a word such as "kill" in an angry way or an off-handed joking way, such as "I could kill him for this."
Of course, that reminded me of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's restaurant:
So we were all jumping up and down, yelling "Kill! Kill!" and the sergeant came over, pinned a medal on me, sent me down the hall, said "You're our boy!"
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
True Love IS the Greatest Thing In the World...
...except for a nice RLT - - Rat, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, when the rat is nice and lean, and the tomatoes are SO ripe, they're so perky, I love that...
A woman in UK eats a sandwich with rodent in it, and is only offered £10 in compensation.
Of course, you know where I found inspiration in this story:
One of the truly great films, yet it only did so-so at the box office.
A woman in UK eats a sandwich with rodent in it, and is only offered £10 in compensation.
Of course, you know where I found inspiration in this story:
One of the truly great films, yet it only did so-so at the box office.
Meanwhile, In Carolina Beach, NC...
...a burglar was caught after he was identified by tattoos that showed up on a surveillance video.
This Is Called An "Identifying Mark or Tattoo."
Meanwhile, In Penny Lane...
Well, not really Penny Lane, but those two words popped out at me in the following article from the Wilmington, NC, newspaper:
Surf City | A Camp Lejeune Marine wanted in an assault on a cab driver earlier this month has been charged.
Gunnery Sgt. Adam John Kinosh, 31, of Penny Lane in Holly Ridge, was charged Tuesday by the Surf City Police Department with assault inflicting serious bodily injury. Bond was set at $20,000.
He is accused of assaulting Charles Hawkesworth, shattering his left cheek bone and nasal passage, both of which required reconstructive surgery, according to warrants.
Excuse this parody:
In Penny Lane there is a jarhead in a taxicab,
And he's beating the poor driver like a rug;
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say, Oh, No!
PTSD defense in 3...2...1...
Surf City | A Camp Lejeune Marine wanted in an assault on a cab driver earlier this month has been charged.
Gunnery Sgt. Adam John Kinosh, 31, of Penny Lane in Holly Ridge, was charged Tuesday by the Surf City Police Department with assault inflicting serious bodily injury. Bond was set at $20,000.
He is accused of assaulting Charles Hawkesworth, shattering his left cheek bone and nasal passage, both of which required reconstructive surgery, according to warrants.
Excuse this parody:
In Penny Lane there is a jarhead in a taxicab,
And he's beating the poor driver like a rug;
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say, Oh, No!
PTSD defense in 3...2...1...
Hey, You Targets! You Suck!
Over at the Daily Caller, a slight faux pas in shooting terminology:
There is a specific reason for analyzing the grip before I even talk about pulling the trigger. Most experienced shooters can pick up a gun, and even before firing know the gun is not right for them. To put it simply, the grip can affect recoil, rate of fire and target accusation. All of those elements impact the overall performance of the gun, and how well it will work for you.
Not to be confused with target acquisition.
But hey, I like the fact that The Daily Caller even features firearms and shooting articles. You ain't going to find that at Newsweek.
There is a specific reason for analyzing the grip before I even talk about pulling the trigger. Most experienced shooters can pick up a gun, and even before firing know the gun is not right for them. To put it simply, the grip can affect recoil, rate of fire and target accusation. All of those elements impact the overall performance of the gun, and how well it will work for you.
Not to be confused with target acquisition.
But hey, I like the fact that The Daily Caller even features firearms and shooting articles. You ain't going to find that at Newsweek.
AM HERE ABE SLANEY
A real-life crime in Idaho brings back memories of one of the great Sherlock Holmes stories:
A woman who was about to be released from an Idaho prison will stay behind bars a while longer because federal prosecutors say she mailed a threatening stick figure drawing to a relative.
Prosecutors say that in 2010, Lakes mailed a drawing that apparently depicted a battered stick figure alongside threatening phrases such as "No tears," "No hiding," and "No more you."
Kyle Wright, an FBI agent in Pocatello who investigated the case, described the drawing in a court document.
"One stick figure appeared to be lying down with his face smashed. The baseball bat was lying nearby with damage that appeared to be consistent with its use on the first stick figure. The second stick figure appeared to be walking away with a smile," Wright wrote.
Wright also said in his affidavit that Lakes sent a letter with the drawing that indicated her prison sentence was coming to an end and that the recipient should be prepared for his final moments.
The Holmes story is, of course, The Adventure of the Dancing Men. For anyone interested in cryptography, it is one of the giants of the literature, along with Edgar Allan Poe's story The Gold-Bug.
A woman who was about to be released from an Idaho prison will stay behind bars a while longer because federal prosecutors say she mailed a threatening stick figure drawing to a relative.
Prosecutors say that in 2010, Lakes mailed a drawing that apparently depicted a battered stick figure alongside threatening phrases such as "No tears," "No hiding," and "No more you."
Kyle Wright, an FBI agent in Pocatello who investigated the case, described the drawing in a court document.
"One stick figure appeared to be lying down with his face smashed. The baseball bat was lying nearby with damage that appeared to be consistent with its use on the first stick figure. The second stick figure appeared to be walking away with a smile," Wright wrote.
Wright also said in his affidavit that Lakes sent a letter with the drawing that indicated her prison sentence was coming to an end and that the recipient should be prepared for his final moments.
The Holmes story is, of course, The Adventure of the Dancing Men. For anyone interested in cryptography, it is one of the giants of the literature, along with Edgar Allan Poe's story The Gold-Bug.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Blogging Comment
Sometime last week Google forced the new Blogger interface on me; I had tried it out about 6 months ago, but reverted to the old interface back then because the new one is less user-friendly to me. It's Google's call, they pay for the service and the bandwidth, so I can't justly complain, since it falls under that Scottish proverb He who pays the piper calls the tune.
I can work with it. I tried "Compose" mode at first, but had problems with my links, so switched to "HTML" mode. That is close to the traditional Blogger interface, with the exception of having to include break tags (the letters "br" enclosed by < and >), which I'm not accustomed to doing...yet. I guess I'll get used to it. So if you see one of my posts all in a single mass of words, instead of broken properly into paragraphs separated by a blank line, that's the reason.
I can work with it. I tried "Compose" mode at first, but had problems with my links, so switched to "HTML" mode. That is close to the traditional Blogger interface, with the exception of having to include break tags (the letters "br" enclosed by < and >), which I'm not accustomed to doing...yet. I guess I'll get used to it. So if you see one of my posts all in a single mass of words, instead of broken properly into paragraphs separated by a blank line, that's the reason.
Meanwhile, In Brasstown, North Carolina...
...residents are fighting PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) over their customary New Year's Eve "Possum Drop."
For 20 years, the jubilant citizens of Brasstown have welcomed the new year by catching a wild opossum, placing it in a Plexiglass cage and slowly lowering it over a cheering crowd as fireworks explode in the night sky.
But in December, this mountain-town tradition caught the eye of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who have since fought to stop Brasstown’s annual Opossum Drop for the sake of the tree-dwelling, nocturnal marsupials and animal lovers who cherish them.
“’Possums are very shy,” said Martina Bernstein, director of litigation for PETA. “They don’t run up to people. They run away. They have no way to hide. They are wild animals. You can’t explain to them that you just want to have fun.”
A reasonable alternative would be to get a professionally-mounted taxidermy possum (from a road-killed sample, say, so as not to get PETA's panties any more wadded up than they already are) to use in the Possum Drop. Such a mounted possum could be used year after year, and kept in a prominent place of honor on the other 364 days of the year. A taxidermist could pose such a possum in any of a number of imaginative poses, and the stuffed possum could even be posed in special clothing or accessory items. Think about the possibilities, here.
For 20 years, the jubilant citizens of Brasstown have welcomed the new year by catching a wild opossum, placing it in a Plexiglass cage and slowly lowering it over a cheering crowd as fireworks explode in the night sky.
But in December, this mountain-town tradition caught the eye of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who have since fought to stop Brasstown’s annual Opossum Drop for the sake of the tree-dwelling, nocturnal marsupials and animal lovers who cherish them.
“’Possums are very shy,” said Martina Bernstein, director of litigation for PETA. “They don’t run up to people. They run away. They have no way to hide. They are wild animals. You can’t explain to them that you just want to have fun.”
A reasonable alternative would be to get a professionally-mounted taxidermy possum (from a road-killed sample, say, so as not to get PETA's panties any more wadded up than they already are) to use in the Possum Drop. Such a mounted possum could be used year after year, and kept in a prominent place of honor on the other 364 days of the year. A taxidermist could pose such a possum in any of a number of imaginative poses, and the stuffed possum could even be posed in special clothing or accessory items. Think about the possibilities, here.
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Buck Stops Here...To Some Degree
Barack Obama, in his 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft, channels his inner Harry Truman...to some degree.
You know, that would make a good meme á la the add the words "in bed" to what you find written on a fortune cookie" meme.
So, just add the words "to some degree" to a declarative statement; for example:
Barack Obama is a lying sack of shit - - to some degree.
Kanye West is banging Kim Kardashian - - to some degree.
Kids can get involved, too:
The dog ate my homework - - to some degree.
Think of your own. Feel free to share them in comments.
You know, that would make a good meme á la the add the words "in bed" to what you find written on a fortune cookie" meme.
So, just add the words "to some degree" to a declarative statement; for example:
Barack Obama is a lying sack of shit - - to some degree.
Kanye West is banging Kim Kardashian - - to some degree.
Kids can get involved, too:
The dog ate my homework - - to some degree.
Think of your own. Feel free to share them in comments.
The Return To Charlotte...
...of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
I'm conflicted on them. I've eaten them since boyhood; the Catholic school I attended from 4th-8th grade in Gainesville, Florida (St. Patrick's) didn't have a proper cafeteria, just an "activity center" that had a kitchen in one corner that sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a few hot items made in a microwave. Or maybe it was a small broiler, since microwaves were a novelty back then (early 1970's). So I ate them often during those years.
They're good hot and fresh, which everyone acknowledges and which is a part of the company's drawing power; they're much less so once cold. Too light and airy for me, I like a doughnut that is heavier and doughy. Truth be told I prefer cinnamon twists to all other doughnut styles, but they aren't as easy to find as they used to be.
And how did they come up with that name? Doughnuts ain't "krispy." Even the glaze, although it breaks into glass-like fragments, ain't "krispy."
I'm conflicted on them. I've eaten them since boyhood; the Catholic school I attended from 4th-8th grade in Gainesville, Florida (St. Patrick's) didn't have a proper cafeteria, just an "activity center" that had a kitchen in one corner that sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a few hot items made in a microwave. Or maybe it was a small broiler, since microwaves were a novelty back then (early 1970's). So I ate them often during those years.
They're good hot and fresh, which everyone acknowledges and which is a part of the company's drawing power; they're much less so once cold. Too light and airy for me, I like a doughnut that is heavier and doughy. Truth be told I prefer cinnamon twists to all other doughnut styles, but they aren't as easy to find as they used to be.
And how did they come up with that name? Doughnuts ain't "krispy." Even the glaze, although it breaks into glass-like fragments, ain't "krispy."
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Weird Dream...
...in which I was involved in a "caper" of some sort with a diminutive Irishman named Tullamore Dew. Most of the details are gone now, of course, but I remember us swapping yarns and telling tales as we tried to acquire lodgings in some town. During the wait we were treated with "leprechaun whisky" which we were told was made by the Little People. The stuff was incredibly smooth, and I was able to match Tullamore drink for drink, with no apparent effect of drunkenness. When the caper ended and we presented ourselves to collect our reward, we were told that after expenses were deducted (why would we sign a contract where WE were responsible for expenses?) WE owed THEM $100.
Talk about a company store...
Saturday, September 22, 2012
23 Years Ago...
Hurricane Hugo came ashore in South Carolina.
Well, I was living here in Charlotte, NORTH Carolina at the time, which is pretty far inland. Still, the hurricane powered ashore and when it reached Charlotte it was still very close to hurricane strength. I was working that night at a La Quinta Inn. In the lobby we actually had working wooden shutters on the windows, hinged and closed from inside, for God only knows what reason. Presumably part of standard La Quinta architectural practice. Anyway, I shut them.
I had my car parked behind a pylon of the carport, which sheltered it from flying debris. And flying debris there was throughout that night. The storm blew clay tiles off of the roof, to smash into bits in the parking lot; A sign from the convenience store across the street was blown out of its frame and sailed across the road, striking a few cars and coming to rest in our parking lot.
At the height of the storm blue flashes announced power transformers shorting out, and early in the wee hours of the morning the power went out, along with the switchboard for phone calls; cell phones were in their infancy back then, few people had them. I turned on the AM radio that the managers had purchased, using it to keep track of weather reports throughout the night. Guests came down to wait in the lobby with me. No way to make coffee, of course, or provide any breakfast except packaged pastries.
La Quinta had a corporate policy back then (don't know if they still do) of hiring "management couples" to run their hotels. These were husband-and-wife teams who were given, as a perquisite, an "apartment" at the hotel, usually two guest rooms joined together and remodeled with kitchen, etc. So with managers on property I didn't have to worry about being relieved in the morning (I wasn't, either, the managers took the desk when my shift was over and the 1st shift worker failed to appear).
At 7 in the morning I departed for home. Down at the bottom of the first hill raged a river of rainwater, so I had to turn around and take a different road. Trees and power poles were down all over the city; luckily few cars, as everyone had heeded the warnings to stay home. Power was out all over the city. Everyone was fine when I got home. As I recall we got power back at home before the weekend was over, and so did the hotel, late on Sunday. I went in to work early Sunday to get all the paperwork organized and fed into the computer. During the next month the hotel hosted a rowdy crew of opportunist workers who drove around the city with trucks and chainsaws, offering their services at fallen tree removal. They made money hand over fist.
23 years ago. Seems like yesterday.
Well, I was living here in Charlotte, NORTH Carolina at the time, which is pretty far inland. Still, the hurricane powered ashore and when it reached Charlotte it was still very close to hurricane strength. I was working that night at a La Quinta Inn. In the lobby we actually had working wooden shutters on the windows, hinged and closed from inside, for God only knows what reason. Presumably part of standard La Quinta architectural practice. Anyway, I shut them.
I had my car parked behind a pylon of the carport, which sheltered it from flying debris. And flying debris there was throughout that night. The storm blew clay tiles off of the roof, to smash into bits in the parking lot; A sign from the convenience store across the street was blown out of its frame and sailed across the road, striking a few cars and coming to rest in our parking lot.
At the height of the storm blue flashes announced power transformers shorting out, and early in the wee hours of the morning the power went out, along with the switchboard for phone calls; cell phones were in their infancy back then, few people had them. I turned on the AM radio that the managers had purchased, using it to keep track of weather reports throughout the night. Guests came down to wait in the lobby with me. No way to make coffee, of course, or provide any breakfast except packaged pastries.
La Quinta had a corporate policy back then (don't know if they still do) of hiring "management couples" to run their hotels. These were husband-and-wife teams who were given, as a perquisite, an "apartment" at the hotel, usually two guest rooms joined together and remodeled with kitchen, etc. So with managers on property I didn't have to worry about being relieved in the morning (I wasn't, either, the managers took the desk when my shift was over and the 1st shift worker failed to appear).
At 7 in the morning I departed for home. Down at the bottom of the first hill raged a river of rainwater, so I had to turn around and take a different road. Trees and power poles were down all over the city; luckily few cars, as everyone had heeded the warnings to stay home. Power was out all over the city. Everyone was fine when I got home. As I recall we got power back at home before the weekend was over, and so did the hotel, late on Sunday. I went in to work early Sunday to get all the paperwork organized and fed into the computer. During the next month the hotel hosted a rowdy crew of opportunist workers who drove around the city with trucks and chainsaws, offering their services at fallen tree removal. They made money hand over fist.
23 years ago. Seems like yesterday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
