July 31, 2011
Contempt of Cop: Concealed Carry Division
In an article the good folks at Pajamas Media were kind enough to publish on July 16, I addressed the issue of police officers around the nation arresting and even beating citizens for lawfully photographing them as they go about their official, public duties. The following two paragraphs are from that article and apply directly to the subject of this post as well.
“Contempt of cop” is a play on words of the common legal term “contempt of court.” The latter refers to a judge holding someone responsible for conduct — usually in the courtroom — that is disrespectful or disruptive, that reflects blatant contempt for the law, the judge and his lawful authority. The former is similar. It refers to a cop’s reaction to the same kind of behavior by a citizen in their presence. In the best sense of the term, an officer’s attention will be attracted by someone who goes out of their way to irrationally and unnecessarily antagonize a police officer in a public setting. In such circumstances, it would be foolish for a police officer to allow that person to go unpunished lest their behavior encourage others to insult, even attack other officers. Contempt of cop also applies to the worst instincts some police officers develop. In those cases, officers become “badge-heavy,” they begin to take matters personally. They become hypersensitive to any insult, real or imagined. They don’t consider the elements of the law, they take offense, act first and make up the rest later. Such officers are unpredictable and dangerous, not only to the public, but to their fellow officers who know that the bad will of the public is cumulative. Abuse the citizenry enough, and the officers who suffer for it — and some will suffer — will often be professionals, men and women of good will undeserving of their fates. To this I would add one other simple fact of American policing: any and every rational officer must assume that any and every person with whom they have contact could be carrying a concealed weapon. This was so even in the years before most states allowed concealed carry, and since only Illinois does not allow it in any way, it remains an even sounder practice—even in Illinois. Most officers know that they will be speaking with people who are legally armed at any time. They also know that these people are thoroughly vetted by the state and are among the most law- abiding people in society. Every rational officer knows that they have less to fear from these people than almost any other class of citizens, and should have no surprise or anger when they do come into contact with them. On June 8, 2011 in Canton, Ohio Officer Daniel Harless of the Canton Police Department was involved in one of the most egregious examples of Contempt of Cop I've ever seen. Go here for that article and video, and here for a related article. It was compounded in July by lawyer and Canton City Council President Allen Shulman who obviously has little respect for the Constitution, and less for anyone living outside Canton who dares to express an opinion. The links in this paragraph will take you to the police dash-cam footage of Officer Harless, and to the audio of Mr. Shulman's comments. Both speak, in many ways, for themselves.Posted by: MikeM at 11:32 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 30, 2011
...And I'm Back
We spent a beautiful and too-short week in western North Carolina, fishing, swimming, hiking and picnicking with my extended family. I think that if we get the chance, my wife and I will probably retire to the Brevard area. It's over 103 here at home, and was never hotter than the mid 80s there all week.
Besides that, the Davidson, French Broad, and Horsepasture Rivers seem to have too many trout. Someone needs to help manage the ecology, preferably someone who knows how to roll cast and grill trout.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 03:47 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Associated Press Covers Gunwalker, in Detail
And rather fairly at that, though I think they may be a bit too inclined to give the ATF the benefit of the doubt, instead of being more suspect of the motivations of the Obama Administration officials at the heart of the scandal and most of the bloggers and investigators that have propelled this story are.
The fact remains that the various DOJ, DHS, and Treasury agencies and operatives that have had a hand in this scandal are all very much in cover-up mode, hoping that they can survive the Congressional investigations and leaks to investigators that keep shifting the blame higher in the Obama Administration. It may take multiple impeachments and criminal trials, but we'll get to the bottom of this.MIKE ADDS: Many Americans don't know that the Associated Press, like Reuters, is a "wire service." The term comes from the old days when news was disseminated by dedicated land-lines, or wires. Now, of course, it's done via the Internet. Even news outlets like the New York Times can no longer afford to maintain news bureaus around the globe, however, organizations like the AP can pay local writers and photographers associated with them to submit stories and photographs, which the AP markets via subscription to local, regional and even national news organizations. This allows your local newspaper to feature stories it could not otherwise obtain. The problem with this system is that if the AP is biased—and it often is—or if the AP gets it wrong, every subscriber around the world is biased or gets it wrong and everyone reading those stories is misinformed. Is the AP always biased? Of course not, but when it is, that bias is invariably toward the left, the progressive, socialist side of the political aisle. As Bob has noted, Ms. Arrillaga's story is well done and quite informative, particularly for those who haven't been keeping up on Gunwalker unlike CY readers, but it suffers from several of the problems I've mentioned (after the break).
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 03:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 29, 2011
The Literature Corner: 1-800...
This Literature Corner for this week is a tale of the sometimes dysfunctional relationship between patrol officers and dispatchers, and a case of divine, comic inspiration.
07-30-11:1-800… I was finishing up the last set of bench press reps in the weight room before beginning another patrol shift when that annoying commercial popped up on the TV again. It was the hearing aid commercial with the tag line “call 1-800-MIRACLE EAR.” I winced as the announcer droned the tag line for at least the 20th time in 30 seconds. I groaned the bar up and into place and shut the TV down. No one minded. Early on it was obvious that it was going to be a really annoying shift. The Dispatch Center was training new dispatchers again—still--and it was as though they--and the cops on the street--were in alternate universes. Tempers were flaring and the only thing keeping the beleaguered cops from hustling into Dispatch with murder on their minds was that it was a day shift and it wasn’t too busy, so we didn’t have to rely too much upon Dispatch. Dispatchers are literally the lifeline for cops and the public, particularly for police forces without mobile data terminals (MDTs--computers). Good dispatchers have a sense of what’s happening out there in the real world and can anticipate what an officer might need next. They can do more than one thing at once, can prioritize calls, are calm, efficient and professional and are a joy to work with. Poor dispatchers can’t do any of those things well, and some not at all. They range from annoying to actually dangerous. Because dispatch pay is even worse than police pay (hard to imagine but true), and because the work is very stressful, people don’t tend to stay in the job for very long. And as with most of the rest of the world, the best dispatchers are chased out by the mediocre. Only the truly horrendous tend to ever be fired, and usually only after their inability causes injury or it becomes painfully obvious--so obvious that it can’t be ignored--that it will, and soon. A slow dispatcher can blow cases, even put officers at risk. Sometimes, dispatching issues are literally life and death. Police lore is full of true stories of dispatchers receiving panicked calls from citizens whose homes were being burglarized, only to have the dispatchers forget or assign a low call priority, leaving victims to fend for themselves. Sometimes the victims are beaten, raped, even murdered. Talk about your basic public relations nightmare!Tom Turnwait wasn’t having a good day. Tom was a former Marine and a funny guy. A relatively new cop, Tom pretty much took things in stride. But for some reason, the dispatcher was extraordinarily slow in responding to every request Tom made. We all noticed it, but because dispatchers were hired and fired by another local governmental entity, we had no real control over them. The result was often citizens calling in and reporting police officers pulled over at the roadside, their faces bright red, their eyes bulging out and clouds of steam jetting from their ears, just like in the cartoons. Tom finally had enough when he made a traffic stop. “Dispatch; Car 8,” Tom said. No answer. “Dispatch; Car 8,” Tom repeated calmly. STILL no answer. “Dispatch; CAR 8,” Tom said again, aggravation creeping into his voice. No matter what they were doing, every cop in town was now listening more closely to the exchange. “DISPATCH; CAR 8!” Tom was really annoyed, and with justification. He had pulled over a traffic violator and it would be unsafe for him to leave his car and approach theirs without Dispatch copying down his location and the plate number of the violator. If Tom got shot, we’d have no idea where he was or who might have shot him. But if he waited too long, the violator would probably get out of their car and approach him. Not a good thing. Cops need to control their environment, and timing is a large part of that control. “Car 8; Car 10,” I said. “Go ahead, I’ll cover you.” “Thanks Car 10,” Tom said, obviously relieved but still pretty upset. He gave me the location and license plate information and I copied it down on the notepad I kept on the top of the visor above my head. Because every other cop was convinced that the dispatcher didn’t have a clue and wouldn’t get one anytime soon, they would also copy it down in case Tom yelled for help or didn’t check in within a few minutes. In case of trouble, Dispatch sure couldn’t tell us where he was. In a few minutes, Tom tried again. “Dispatch; Car 8; registration check,” Tom said, his voice back to normal. No answer. “DISPATCH; CAR 8; REGISTRATION CHECK!” Tom was really hot. Finally, they caught on. “Uh, go ahead Car 8...” Tom read the license plate number, speaking very slowly and distinctly. By now,
every cop in town was paying close attention to the exchange. Most were shaking their heads in disgust. Tom finished reading the plate number. “Uh, could you repeat that Car 8?” The dispatcher said. Tom repeated it clearly, slowly, chewing each consonant and vowel, “2 Adam Boy, 3-6-9.” Strangely, his voice was normal again. “Car 8, was that 2 Adam Boy 2-6-7?” “2 Adam Boy 3-6-9,” Tom said, his voice absolutely calm, steady and crystal clear. “2 Adam Dog, 2-6-5?” Repeated the clueless dispatcher. “2 Aaaadummm Boeeee thuh-reeeee sicksssssssss nnniiiiiiuuuuuunnnnnnn,” Tom said, exaggerating each sound. “Car 8, could you repeat that?” The hapless dispatcher said. I was staring at my radio speaker in amazement. That’s when Tom received a burst of divine inspiration. “Dispatch; Car 8; ready to copy a phone number?” Tom asked, supernaturally calm. “Go ahead Car 8.” Amazing; they got it! Absolutely deadpan, Tom said: “1-800-Miracle Ear.” “Uh, could you repeat that Car 8?” All across town, bewildered citizens were treated to the spectacle of policemen abruptly pulling to the curb and literally laughing until they cried. The shift supervisor ordered Tom to meet him at the station, but he didn’t give him too much trouble. After all, it was divinely inspired. How do you blame a guy for that? Tom was our hero for weeks.
Posted by: MikeM at 10:42 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 28, 2011
Practical Problem Solving: The S&W M&P 22-15
I'm fond of my AR-15. I don't mean that I sleep with it under my pillow or gaze longingly at its photograph on my desk at work. I appreciate well-designed and manufactured devices, whether firearms, musical instruments or computers. I find useful and functional design to be remarkable.
Posted by: MikeM at 11:48 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Debbie Downer Desperately Demagogues as Democratic Descent Deepens
If you don't have a President or a Party or a plan, maybe this is the best she can do:
Reality must be painful for the reality-based community. Democratic leadership, in the form of the President, is increasingly pathetic, offering no concrete solution of any sort to our budget problems. All Obama has done is whine and stomp his feet that he is unwilling to cut any of the trillions in spending he and his fellow Democrats have added in recent years, while insisting on raising taxes, a move certain to plunge us into a full depression. Debbie Downer and Harry Reid have likewise offered no leadership or viable budgets, and instead merely snipe at the plans Republicans have offered. The American people can see that it is the Republican Party, and only the Republican Party, that is offering budget plans. The Democrats are offering nothing but vitriol. The American people are not blind, as much as the Democrats and media wish they were, and they will respond accordingly in 2012, if not sooner.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Wednesday that House Republicans are trying to impose "dictatorship" through their tactics in the debt-ceiling negotiations. She said the GOP rhetoric could "spark panic and chaos," which she called "potentially devastating" to the economy. The chair telephoned POLITICO to express "significant disappointment in where … Republicans have allowed this debate to degenerate."
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:09 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Details of the Obama Budget
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 07:42 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Quick Takes, July 28, 2011
ITEM: It's Happened Again. Go here for a summary. "It" is another mass shooting by a single man, apparently a 32 year old described by the Norwegian police as a Christian fundamentalist, right-wing extremist. Of course, in a nation that is essentially Socialist, "right wing" almost certainly has different connotations than in America. But what is clear is that using a "machine-pistol" he killed approximately 90 people on an island accessible only by boat. By strict definition, a "machine-pistol" is a fully automatic weapon in pistol caliber—highly unlikely in Norway--but there are no confirmed additional details available.
At this point, one lesson is abundantly clear: This kind of murderous rampage is possible only in gun-free zones, which pretty much describes Norway. Many Norwegians own guns, but virtually no one is allowed to carry guns, and for the most part, the police don't either. From media reports, the shooter killed, unrestrained, for 60-90 minutes before the police could respond. Don't expect the media to understand this. They will almost certainly, as usual, use this as an opportunity to lobby for greater citizen disarmament. I've no doubt the Obama Administration will do the same. One capable innocent with a handgun could have stopped this. One. John at Powerline (here) concurs. ITEM: Our National Debt in 1:24: Go here to view a very powerful video submitted for the PowerLine Prize. It says what needs to be said very well indeed. Go here for another fine effort. ITEM: How Not To Be Unemployed: This is the title of an article by Susannah Breslin at Forbes (here). Good advice from a woman who knows. By all means, read it all. ITEM: Don't Tax You, Don't Tax Me; Tax That Corporate Jet Behind The Tree! Hold on there, Buckaroo! That's not what you'd be saying if you were billionaire and Obama supporter Warren Buffett. Go here for a brief and informative story and video on the real issues relating to the latest iteration of Mr. Obama's never-ending class warfare. ITEM: If I Were Him, I Wouldn't Worry About An Invitation To The Next White House Command Performance. Go here for an interesting story about Vegas gazillionaire Steve Wynn. It seems that Mr. Wynn thinks—gasp—that Mr. Obama is very bad for American business and that the economy won't improve until Mr. Obama is gone. How could anyone think this, particularly when Mr. Obama himself tells us that things are so good, 80% of Americans are just dying to have their taxes raised? ITEM: Thirty Million Americans Live In Poverty: What, exactly, does that mean? Go here for an interesting story at PowerLine that outlines the facts. One thing is certain: The poorest Americans are certainly the envy of far, far more than 30 million of the residents of the rest of this small, blue planet. By all means, read the whole thing. ITEM: Oh! It Blew Up In Her Face! Ka-Blooey! Go here for a brief and delicious video of MSNBC talking head Contessa Brewer interviewing Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL). Arguing economics, she arrogantly demanded to know if Rep. Brooks had a degree in economics. Turns out he actually does—with honors. Ka-Blooey! ITEM: It Takes A Licking And Keeps On—Calling and Receiving? Go here to see what happens when you drop your iPhone 13,500 feet onto a rooftop. Amazing. NOTE: We're professionals; don't try this at home. ITEM: How Can You Tell When Barack Obama Is Lying? Go here for Michelle Malkin's list of victims of evil insurance companies, insurance companies that will be brought to heel by the wonders of ObamaCare! Except, the people Mr. Obama awarded much-coveted victim status really aren't victims at all. But that means that the answer to the question is: His lips are moving. Indeed. ITEM: It's That Right Wing Fox News Again! So, did News Corp., parent company of Fox new follow the lead of the rest of the media? Did the employees of News Corp. donate to Democrats by a margin of eight or nine to one over Republicans? Not so much. It's actually 51% Republicans and 49% Democrats. You'll never guess which political figure got the most boodle. Yeah, you will. Looks like "fair and balanced" isn't just hype. Go here for the story. ITEM: The Party's Over: At 5:556 EDT, July 21, 2011 the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed, ending America's ability to fly into low orbit for the foreseeable future, and arguably ending America's manned space program. Our only means of flying men into space is now the use of Russian capsules employing 1970s technology. But cheer up! NASA Chief Charles Bolden has a new mission direct from Mr. Obama: Helping Muslims to feel good about the scientific accomplishments of their ancient ancestors. I guess if we want to boldly go where no man has gone before, we'll have to rely on Star Trek. ITEM: Finally! Conclusive Proof of Global Warming! That's right gentle readers. Go here to Hot Air, which is reporting on the NYT's recent indisputable, settle-it-once-and-for-all proof of anthropogenic (man-caused) global warming. The proof? Oh! Sorry! It's like, you know, I mean, really hot--in July. Quit laughing! I mean reeeeallllly hot! Sweating and everything! Stop that! It's not funny! Now that they've cleared that up, I await stunning and conclusive proof that the oceans are wet and that it tends to be dark at midnight. ITEM: Just Like The Flintstones, They'll Have a Gay Old Time! In QTs from last week, we reported on the National Institutes of Health spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to study medical issues of enormous practical importance such as how the penis size of gay men relates to, well, their satisfaction (I always thought you couldn't get no satisfaction…). Now we discover (here) that the NIH has spent another $300,000 to deal with another medical conundrum that's right up there with seeking a cure for cancer: Why do gay men have sex and use drugs at professionally produced gay dance parties? I don't know. It sort of seems like the NIH is more than normally interested in gay sex. And now that you mention it, what's a "normal" interest in gay sex in the first place, particularly if you're not gay? How can we get some satisfaction about this? Discuss. ITEM: Louis Renault Award, National Destruction Division: Go here for a brief reminder of the EPA's regulatory war on productivity, jobs, the economy, and national survival. Particularly, I was shocked, shocked! to learn that the EPA is about to put into effect rules that seem specifically targeted at destroying electric generating capacity in Texas, the most productive, free, and economically dynamic state in the union these days, and a solidly red state. Surely the Obama Administration would never engage in thuggish retribution? Surely the Obama Administration would never do anything to harm the economic viability of one of the few states helping to keep America from economic doom? Of course the Obama Administration would do that, and quit calling me Shirley! ITEM: First Class Temperament—Not! Go here for a revealing story about the new Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel and his less than calm response to a reasonable question by a female reporter. Remember, gentle readers, Emanuel was often touted as the sole rational, calm and reasonable voice in the Obama White House. This man is running one of America's largest cities. We're in the very best of hands. ITEM: 2012 Election Preview: Presidential Press Secretary Jay Carney provided a look (go here) into what will almost certainly be Mr. Obama's campaign rhetoric in 2012: "The economy is vastly improved from what it was when Barack Obama was sworn into office as president." Right. Ignore that man behind the curtain; Neville Chamberlain secured peace in our time; scientists don't want drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, and Janet Napolitano says things on the southern border are better than ever! A mind is a terrible thing to waste, Jay. ITEM: U.S. Taxpayers Take A Bath! Or: "Mr. President! The taxpayers are revolting!" "They certainly are." When Barack Obama took over Chrysler and GM, we owned a Dodge Caliber. It was a decent car, but sensing that Mr. Obama would do as well running the auto industry as everything else he touches, we decided to support the only U.S. manufacturer who did not succumb to the siren song of Socialism and have been happy Ford owners since. But now the Treasury Department has announced that it sold the taxpayer's remaining 98,000 shares of Chrysler stock—at a $1.3 billion dollar loss. Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Tim Massad said, essentially, well, yeah, but we dumped our investment at a loss six years earlier than we expected, so you know, it's like all good and stuff! What good news! Go here for the entire disaster. I don't know--$1.3 billion still seems like quite a bit of money to me. You? ITEM: And Now It's Time For—Guess That Date! Yes gentle readers, in what year was this headline featured? "U.S. Budget Deficit Hits Record $438 Billion For Year?" Was it (A) 1934, (B) 1963, (C) 1972, or (D) 1981? It's (E) None of the above. The year was 2008. Isn't it amazing how just over two years of Barack Obama has so devalued the apparent worth of hundreds of billions of dollars that $438 billion doesn't sound like much anymore? Go here for an enlightening bit of perspective, courtesy of the invaluable Mark Steyn. ITEM: Politically Incorrect: Have you found yourself annoyed by the tired, cowardly character assassination that passes for being brave and politically incorrect when uttered by leftists, leftists such as the distinctly unfunny and just plain mean comedian Bill Maher? Well, Steven Crowder shares your pain and has produced a great little video (here) illustrating just what being politically incorrect means. If you're not familiar with Crowder and his work, you've missed one of the brightest and genuinely funniest comedians extant. Take the time to see this one. ITEM: God—And Ronald McDonald—Have Delicious Senses of Irony. Go here for the story. What story? With the First Couple doing their best to destroy the economy and turn children into skeletal model-waifs, which company is thriving despite their best efforts? C'mon, I gave you a major hint! ITEM: "Note That There's A Restaurant Called Hooters But None Called Testicles." So says Advice Goddess Amy Alkon (here). If you haven't read Alkon, this is a good chance to make her acquaintance, so to speak. Direct, rational, funny, smart: what more could you want in a woman, or an advice goddess, for that matter? My favorite English parallel: "If you can be quizzical, why can't you be testicle?" ITEM: Beauty: Popular music has produced a few truly magnificent singers. Among them are Karen Carpenter—who sadly died far too young—and Alison Krauss, like Carpenter a consummate musician with an achingly expressive, beautiful voice and the ability to find the soul of a song, to truly sing the music instead of the notes and rhythms. July 23rd was her birthday and Powerline (here) has a brief story and a video you really want to see. If you've not heard Krauss, you're missing real beauty. Take the chance to experience it. ITEM: No One Is That Stupid—Right? Imagine a federal cemetery, a cemetery serving as an official final resting place for our military dead. Imagine that the director of that cemetery is preventing any mention of God from being used in services in that cemetery. Insane, right? Can't be happening, right? Apparently, it is. Go here for the story of one Arleen Ocasio, director of the cemetery in Houston, TX (of all places), and the testimony of state lawmaker John Culberson (you knew he had to be a Republican, didn't you) who went "undercover" to see for himself after Obama Administration officials denied that it was happening. According to Culberson, it is indeed happening. See what you think. Secure breakable objects first. ITEM: A Cuteness Overdose That Just Keeps On Giving: Go here to Zoo Borns for photos of the cutest beasties--born in zoos all over the place—you've ever seen. This is the kind of site you should bookmark and visit whenever you feel the need for one of those "Awwwwwww!" moments. Winnie-The-Pooh cute. ITEM: Let’s Go There And Figure Out How They Do It! So say the officials of many states who are sojourning to—Texas! That’s right. The Lone Star State has, from 2001-2010 created 732,000 jobs, more than any other state. Arizona, in second place, had only 92,000. California recently sent a high-level delegation and apparently don't speak Texan, because they're still circling the toilet bowl on the way down. How did these Texans do it? Go here to find out. ITEM: Mr. Obama gave a speech the other night on the Debt Ceiling debacle. Class warfare, false choices, lies, it's everybody else's fault, all talk, no plan, you know, the usual. Go here, if you care. ITEM: What? How Is This Possible? And in a related story, the White House Press Corps (that's "core," not "corpse") actually took Obama Press Mouthpiece Jay Carney to task and dared to demand to know why Mr. Obama has no debt ceiling plan! Mr. Carney's response? Mr. Obama don' need no stinkin' plan! He gave a good speech once—or something. Well, as long as you put it that way… Go here to see the most transparent administration in American history in action. ITEM: Shovel Ready? Yeah. Not so much. Go here to PowerLine for a cute video on the true nature of the Obama stimulus that even Mr. Obama admitted was never shovel ready, although, they did give cocaine to monkeys. I can't think of a better use for taxpayer funds, can you? Perhaps measuring gay penises or something like that. Or maybe gay monkey penises…that would be better! Discuss. ITEM: We're In The Very Best Of Hands: Go here to see a video of a Congressman questioning ATF higher-ups about Operation Fast and Furious. See the higher-ups pretend to be unable to understand or answer simple questions. See how well our tax dollars are being used to destroy our rights and kill law enforcement officers in two nations. Makes you proud to be a citizen of the world. ITEM: The Clinton Legacy. Remember those glory years for the Democrats: The Clinton years of amazing economic success driven by Democrat policy? Yeah. Me neither, but a great many Democrats and of course, the Lamestream Media remembers it fondly. But as Mr. Reagan was fond of saying, it's not so much that what the Dems know is wrong, but that so much of what they know just isn't so. And so it is with this myth. Go here for the facts by the invaluable Mona Charen. If you haven't read Charen, this is a fine introduction. ITEM: The Joys of Austerity: Mr. Obama has announced he has a plan to save $4 trillion dollars! Well, he's announced it, but he actually, sort of, really, has no plan at all, actually. But because he's Barack Obama, his word is reality, except when it isn’t, which is actually all of the time, particularly when it comes to spending. To get a very readable and worthy take on our upcoming fiscal reality, go here to read the mandatory Mark Steyn. ITEM: Yummy Goodness and Political Philosophy: Our very own Brigid has managed to combine wonderful writing and photography on the most essential of the food groups: bacon--and politics. Go here for a rare treat. ITEM: Middle East Overview: Take a few minutes to navigate over to The Mellow Jihadist, which is not, by the way, an Islamist Looney site, to read a post with many interesting links. It's sort of a quick recent history of what's up thereabouts written by a former military officer who knows whereof he speaks. Interesting indeed. ITEM: Be Prepared! Who knew that there were at least five different types—of sluts? Of sluts. Viewer Warning: This short article contains a photograph of an attractive female posterior and of a female making an obscene gesture. Oh yes, and the kind of language you find in such disreputable places as your local cinema, and, well, life. I mention this because I know how sensitive, sheltered and gentile CY readers are. Go here to "the Frisky" for the vital story. Hey, with all of the horrendous stuff we end up reporting, I think we can all use a bit of frippery, or friskiness. Sorry: no extra credit for inventing your own kinds of sluts—or for gay penis jokes. And with that observation, I must thank you once again for stopping by and urge you to visit us again next Thursday at Quick Takes! May you have such a ridiculously lovely week that your enemies melt down in frustration!Posted by: MikeM at 01:19 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 26, 2011
Quick Charge To The Rescue!
Several of the biggest obstacles to the wide-spread proliferation of all-electric vehicles—which circa July, 2011 means the Nissan Leaf--are these simple facts:
(1) Battery technology limits range to a maximum of about 50 miles which virtually requires drivers to adopt unrealistic techniques, such as carrying only a driver, little or no cargo, using no accessories—such as air conditioning, radio, turn signals, headlights—that drain electrical power, and accelerating and driving very slowly. Absent such methods, less range is a certainty. (2) Charging times are excessive. A full charge takes as long as 12 hours, and virtually never less than eight with a fast charger which costs $2000.00, not including installation. And charging times are variable. It's not always exactly eight hours, but virtually never less. (3) Cold weather reduces battery range to a fraction of its already small capacity. Adding such things as battery heaters may help overnight in the owner's garage, but such heaters require even more electricity, and unless the driver can plug in the heater wherever he parks the vehicle, it is of little use. (4) There is currently almost no public charging infrastructure and no commonly accepted means of paying for (or generating) the power that will be used. (6) EVs cost significantly more than conventional vehicles in their size class and are far less flexible. (7) The resale value of EVs on the used car market is unknown, but unlikely to be good. Even new EVs are attractive only to a very small niche market. (
Even if a significant nation-wide charging infrastructure sprung up overnight, all of the other issues would still exist. If you run out of power, you have a very large and expensive wheeled paperweight on your hands for at least eight hours—if a quick charging station is handy. Oh sure, you could take a faster, partial charge—say four hours--and end up out of power somewhere less convenient…
But now comes AAA to the rescue with quick charge trucks! According to Chuck Squatriglia at Autopia (here):Posted by: MikeM at 11:25 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 25, 2011
Letter From The Teacher #11: Sex Education?
Anytown High School, Any State, USA
To: Mrs. WhitehouseFrom: Mr. English Teacher
Re: Sex Education? Dear Mrs. Whitehouse: Thanks for your e-mail about your son Steve's literature critique. His final draft was a great improvement. I only showed him what he needed to do; he did all the real work, and it paid off very well. I was also glad that you sent me this link about the Massachusetts middle school forcing 7th graders to take a sex survey without parental knowledge or permission. As you requested, I checked with our middle school and our central office. We are not planning anything remotely like that, and we have never done anything remotely like that. In fact, in the Anytown Independent School District, all such things require parental permission, in advance. If you have any additional questions about that issue, I recommend that you speak with April Summers, who handles that portion of the curriculum for us. I'm sure she can answer any questions you might have. As to your question about my opinion of sex ed. for high school students, I'm honored that you would ask, but please understand that my answer is probably not going to perfectly match the official position of the Anytown ISD, whatever that position is. I speak only for myself, which is probably just fine by the Anytown ISD anyway! I suppose I'll be taking bits and pieces from both of the commonly known sides of the issue, but I'm probably going to be talking more about human nature and process than precisely what should and should not be taught. I hope that will answer your question as completely as possible, or at the least, provide a bit of insight. A great many people suggest that there is no need for adults to teach kids anything about sex. They seem to believe that kids already know far more than they did at that age, and likely more than they do as adults! The truth is, most kids know only enough to know at what they should snicker. Like a great many adults, they really don't know much, and what they do know is just enough to get them into real trouble.
Posted by: MikeM at 10:58 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
FBI Allowed Felons to Buy Gunwalker Weapons?
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time the Feds have turned a blind eye to felons buying guns, or even gun companies. If they can use a criminal to make a case (as they did with Fast and Furious) or because they can use him as a criminal informant (as they did Lee Franklin Booth), then they certainly will.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 04:55 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Norwegian Lessons
By now, most are aware of the murderous rampage in Norway. The killer—who would want his name to be prominently mentioned—is a 32-year-old Norwegian. From what is currently known, he set off a bomb made of fertilizer and fuel oil in Oslo, killing seven, and approximately an hour later, took a boat to Utoya Island, a retreat center accessible only by helicopter or boat. Dressed in a police uniform, he called many of the youngsters on the island at a summer retreat to him and opened fire, eventually killing 86 and wounding—at the bombing and on the island--more than 90. His rampage was stopped when he was shot—he survived--by a police SWAT team, but it took approximately 90 minutes from the first shot until the police were able to find transportation and travel to the island.
His weapons have been variously described as a "machine pistol," an "automatic weapon and a pistol," and various other imprecise, uninformed media formulations. There was immediate speculation that the attack was another Jihadist outrage, which these days is far from an unreasonable assumption, but it seems that this attack was most similar to that in Tucson: the act of an evil man, acting alone in response to whatever demons pursued him. The first question that usually comes to mind—or at least to the minds of the media—is: why? Why did this person do what he did? Is he a member of a favored victim group? Were his grievances—if they align with the favored socialist/statist narrative—legitimate, even understandable, or was he a "right wing extremist?" If so, not only is he to blame but any who might share any portion of his assumed political beliefs is also to blame, and yes, Sarah Palin has already been implicated. The first question that usually comes to the minds of many politicians is: how can I use this to my advantage? This is particularly true of those who seek to increase the power of the state and suppress the freedom of individuals, men like Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel who endeavor to never allow a crisis to go to waste—when it can be cynically exploited for political gain.Posted by: MikeM at 12:25 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Obama Zone
Let's take a journey, a journey into a dimension of self-delusion and inattention, a dimension of false hope and unwanted change. We're taking a trip to: The Obama Zone!
Consider these excerpts from a piece by Mike Allen at Politico via Jim Geraghty at National Review (via me): "FLY ON THE WALL: Fifty of the most prized donors in national politics, including several hedge-fund billionaires who are among the richest people in the world, schlepped to a Manhattan office or hovered around speakerphones Tuesday afternoon [July 19, 2011] as their host, venture capitalist Ken Langone (pronounced LAN-goan), a co-founder of The Home Depot, implored New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to reconsider and seek the GOP presidential nomination…" "Langone backed Rudy Giuliani in 2008, and his guests came from both parties, although most were moderate Republicans. Most are uncommitted in the presidential race. Participants who rank on the Forbes list of richest Americans included Bernie Marcus, Paul Tudor Jones (hedge funds; $3.3 billion), Stan Druckenmiller (hedge funds; $2.5 billion) and Bernie Marcus (Home Depot; $1.9 billion). Several of them said: I’m Republican but I voted for President Obama, because I couldn’t live with Sarah Palin. Many said they were severely disappointed in the president. The biggest complaint was what several called “class warfare.” They said they didn’t understand what they had done to deserve that: If you want to have a conversation about taxation, have a conversation. But a president shouldn’t attack his constituents — he’s not the president of some people, he’s president of all the people…" Can you can sing, without error in note or lyric, the theme from Gilligan's Island? If, like me, you can, then you remember Thurston Howe III and his wife, Lovey. Howe III was billed as "the millionaire" ("and his wife") in the opening ditty. Now, of course, millions are little more than pocket change. Like Dr. Evil awakening after decades and trying to extort a million dollars, it seems innocent and quaint in our world of debts so large their adjectives defy the imagination. What does a trillion of anything look like anyway?Posted by: MikeM at 12:04 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 23, 2011
What Can A Man Of Barack Obama's Experience Accomplish? Part II
What Can A Man of Barack Obama's Experience Accomplish? Part II.
Links To Referenced Stories/Videos In This Article: (1) For an article about Mr. Obama's only executive experience, go here. (2) For a video of Jack Cashill explaining why Mr. Obama did not write his first book, go here.Mr. Obama's only executive experience was his years (1995-1999) as head—appointed by unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers—of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, an organization set up to disburse tens of millions ostensibly to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged Chicago children. Despite blowing through a truly huge sum (more than $100 million in only four years), Mr. Obama accomplished—according to the study of the aftermath by the Annenberg Foundation—absolutely nothing but wasting more than $100 million dollars of other people's money. It is not known if Mr. Obama knew that this was vital training for his future, but he obviously did not want anyone to know about his only executive experience, and despite the fact that the press did know about it during the 2008 campaign, it was not reported. Apparently pants creases and leg tingles override fiscal irresponsibility far more than was previously understood. Mr. Obama has identified himself as a "constitutional law professor" at the University of Chicago, but he was actually listed as a "senior lecturer" during his brief tenure. The best evidence indidcates that the school was ordered to find Mr. Obama office space and to give him a class to teach. In academia, "professor" is the highest academic rank, normally awarded only to tenured teachers after many years of experience and many successful publications. Mr. Obama has none of these qualifications, and never went through the necessary process of being awarded professor rank. Despite earning academic credentials in the law, there is no evidence that Mr. Obama worked for any appreciable period of time as a practicing attorney. He may be reasonably called a lawyer by virtue of having a law degree, but he apparently never kept offices, met a payroll, hung out a shingle, or even worked as a regularly salaried attorney for government. Instead, most of his post-Harvard days were occupied with his "work," as a community organizer.
Posted by: MikeM at 12:06 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Literature Corner: You're a F****** Hero!
For this edition of the Literature Corner, we present a tale of booze, possible rape, and, well, booze. We also introduce readers to the gritty reality of the legal system where no good deed goes unpunished, the guilty often get away with it and the real victims are the public.
Language Warning: Police officers often pick up some of the habits and language of the street. After I left police work, I had to watch myself lest some of the more colorful expressions accidentally leak out into the English classroom. But it makes no sense to have cops talking like 19th century British librarians, so I've compromised a bit. I suspect you'll survive it.072311: You're A F****** Hero! Commendations are odd things in law enforcement. In many ways, they serve the same purpose as medals in the military: they’re supposed to encourage and reward exceptional performance and devotion to duty, even heroism. Hand them out to the average and they lose their value. Some big police organizations hand out actual metal medals, but for many, a written commendation serves the same purpose. I’ve seen a few justifiably awarded commendations, but many are handed out for dubious heroism. There was the case of the officer who was commended for finding a lost infant. In reality, he literally grabbed the kid out of the arms of the officer who actually found her and rushed to the parent’s front door to play the hero. The street guys knew he did that kind of thing all the time. The brass thought he was grand. Then there was the case of the officer who got a commendation just because he was doing a pretty decent job in general (the chief really liked him)! The weather was odd--not quite one thing or another. It was near 0° and very humid. The wind chill was at least 15° below, but the humidity, oddly, made it feel much warmer. When the occasional gusts of wind passed, a frigid mist immediately followed. It was the kind of deceptive weather that sometimes kills unwary drunks. So I was patrolling the downtown alleys looking for people who couldn’t or wouldn’t look out for themselves. On the midnight shift, the downtown patrol district was always busy, mostly due to drunks, idiots and idiot drunks. The district was smaller in area than all of the other districts, but had a higher concentration of bars, restaurants, 24 hour quick shops and other night life attractions than just about anyplace in town. Throw in the Civic Center, several major and minor motels, quite a bit of low rent housing and the river that ran through the heart of town, and things were always interesting.
Posted by: MikeM at 12:02 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 22, 2011
Gone Fishin'
I'm taking my family on a long-deserved vacation to the mountains of western North Carolina for a week, starting Saturday morning. Hopefully, that involves some trout and smallmouth fishing in the area lakes and streams. I don't know if the place we're going even has an internet connection, so I may very well not be online for the duration of the trip.
I'm leaving you in the best of hands, and I'll see you in a week.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:18 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Oh Hell, Hillary: State Department Allegedly Sold Military Weapons to Zetas Cartel
If this is true, it makes Gunwalker look like child's play, and would seem to make it very unlikely that this wasn't part of an Administration-wide conspiracy.
Forget impeachment. This is gas chamber-worthy.Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 03:23 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Terror in Oslo: Religion of Pedophilia and Infantile Rage Strikes Again
There was a massive car bomb that shattered the facades of buildings around the Norwegian Prime Minister's office, and there are now unconfirmed reports of a gunman dressed as a police officer shooting up a youth camp outside the capitol, and other possible unexploded bombs in the city of Oslo.
The BBC is providing on-going coverage of what appears to be not just one, but a possible series of terror attacks. And the obligatory Islamic tie-in:We can't outlaw a peaceful religion, but we sure as Hell can outlaw violent cults. It's time we started working on making that happen. Update: The claims of responsibility from the terror group have turned out to be bogus. It's a sick person in a sick cult who takes credit for something like this. Details are sketchy, but it appears that the attacker is a native Norwegian and is responsible for both the bombing in Oslo and the shootings at the youth camp. He is in police custody. Update: The body count has skyrocketed to at least 84 on the island, and 91 overall. Norwegian national broadcaster NRK identified the shooter as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, and he is apparently an anti-Muslim right-wing extremist and Christian Fundamentalist. He is Norway's McVeigh. Let the title of this article of this blog post be a warning not to jump to conclusions, even when the crime fits the M.O. and one terrorist group or another within the Islamic Death Cult claims responsibility. The key difference to remember--while American liberals gloat over the wrong assumptions we made based upon initial claims--is that when so-called Christians embark on crimes of this nature, they are expressly violating one of the key tenants of our faith. When Muslims commit mass murder, they are typically following key tenants of their faith. Big difference. Regardless of the politically focused sideshow, my heartfelt sympathies extend to the families affected by this madman. Please send them your prayers.
The blast comes as Norway grapples with a homegrown terror plot linked to al-Qaida. Two suspects are in jail awaiting charges. Last week, a Norwegian prosecutor filed terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he is deported from the Scandinavian country. The indictment centered on statements that Mullah Krekar -- the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam -- made to various news media, including American network NBC.
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 11:36 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Wheeled Freedom
There is only one date on a child's calender, and that is the first day of summer, that taste of hope and freedom long awaited.
My hometown has changed some in the last 30 years, becoming a bedroom community for a much larger city 50 minutes away, the population growing. When I go back I often wander around the places I played as a child, finding only bits and pieces that are still the same. I get to one neighborhood and see a kids bike and remember a mountain.
Posted by: Brigid at 10:59 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Uh-Oh: DOJ Inspector General Launches Investigation into Fast and Furious Whistleblower Retaliation
Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 08:22 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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