Libertarian Commentary on the News for the week of 16-22 July, 2006. , --Page 2

WI: Gun charges expected against auto shop owner
Fond du Lac Reporter
"A local businessman who made several vandalism complaints to the Fond du Lac Police Department is expected to be charged with pointing a gun at the alleged perpetrators. Five children have allegedly been damaging property at the man's west side auto shop. The 63-year-old man has made several complaints in recent months about five boys who have been throwing rocks through the windows of vehicles on his auto shop lot, causing enough damage to force him to close his business. The man has accused the Police Department of not taking the vandalism incidents seriously and not doing enough to curb the incidents. "[Editor's note: And just how old were these 'children'? -MLS] (07/19/06)

Hmm, the police were quick enough to respond to his evil actions, weren't they? Apparently only the cops are allowed to wave guns around and threaten people with them.

Gun ownership up, crime down.
Sierra Times
"Those who push gun control tell us that crime goes up and suicide goes up with more firearms ownership. This was not the case last year. Gun crime, suicides and firearms related accidents declined last year. According to the FBI, there were 339,280 firearms crimes reported in 2005, which is down 2.4% from 2004 and 7% from 1998. The Center for Disease Control reported that firearm suicides were down 1.1%, to a reported 16,907, and they have declined 1.8% since 1998. The National Safety Council said, accidental firearms fatalities, which tied the 2004 figure at an all-time low of 700. That is down 19.2% since 1998." (07/18/06)

This is far from unexpected news. But it raises a question in my mind: is it possible to saturate our society with enough guns to force the crime rate down to a statistically insignificant level?

Mama's Note: I'm sure that would happen, but since the criminals have had such a long run without much opposition, it would take a while and be very messy. I'm ready to start working on it any time...

OH: Robber pulls gun, employee pulls pellet gun
Community Press
"Shots were fired during an aggravated robbery of the McDonald's restaurant at 8969 Fields Ertel Road at 1:22 a.m. Tuesday, July 11. Three suspects entered the restaurant through an unlocked door. The restaurant manager was then forced at gunpoint to open the safe. As the manager was opening the safe, a male employee retrieved a pellet gun and pointed it at one of the suspects from across the restaurant. The suspect fired two rounds at the employee, striking the wall behind him. The suspects then fled the restaurant on foot with an undetermined amount of money, heading south." [RRND Editor's note: Good grief. Included only to show how NOT to confront armed robbers. -MLS] (07/19/06)

Yikes. This sounds like a stupid people trick of the week!

NY: Council passes victim disarmament bills
New York Sun
"City Council yesterday passed a series of bills aimed at bolstering gun control and cracking down on gun crime. The measures, introduced jointly by Mayor Bloomberg and the council speaker, Christine Quinn, require any person convicted of a gun crime to register with the city and prohibit a person from buying more than one handgun in a three-month period. " (07/20/06)

More eyewash - and more disarming everyone but the criminals.

Mama's Note: The only question I have is why anyone intelligent or with an ounce of guts still lives in New York City?? Unless the Black Arrow shows up pretty soon, they'll all be wearing dog collars and RFID ear tags in a few years.

MI: Michigan governor signs self-defense bill
WHBF News
"Michigan's governor has signed legislation meant to strengthen and clarify self-defense rights. People in Michigan now will be allowed to use deadly force -- with no duty to retreat -- if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault. The law also protects people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense. Critics say the law is unnecessary because prosecutors now don't charge people who have justifiably used deadly force to protect themselves. Supporters say the law is needed to protect people from getting sued. They also say Michigan law previously required people to first retreat before using deadly force, putting them at a disadvantage." (07/20/06)

We've seen too many cases where people WERE sued, and for that matter, where cops and DA's treated them as criminals, to believe that this clarification is unnecessary. In a nation where the Bill of Rights was enforced, it wouldn't be needed, but this is the USA-2006.

SC: Gang violence in the Midlands has some people on edge
WIS TV News
"On Saturday, 19-year-old Denise Boykin was shot and killed at the Barnyard Flea Market in Lexington County. Authorities think gunmen were trying to target the woman's boyfriend. ... Gangs are using guns more than ever. Smith says weekly disputes are ending with gunfire. Cpt. Smith is concerned it will get worse, 'Until some of the, perhaps, legislation is changed regarding how guns are obtained, we're going to see probably increase in weapons and firearms used in these incidents.' But Smith admits, no matter what the law, gangs who want guns will find a way to get them." (07/20/06)

So, Captain Smith, why don't you concentrate on helping people who ARE peaceful get guns to defend themselves and respond to the gang-banger's violence?

GA: Former congressman sues Mayor Bloomberg
1010 WINS News
"Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr filed a lawsuit against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday, claiming Bloomberg's attempt to crack down on gun dealers was 'careless, willful and clearly illegal.' The lawsuit, filed in Cobb County Superior Court, is in response to a federal lawsuit filed by Bloomberg in May alleging that 15 firearm brokers in five states, including Georgia, were 'rogue gun dealers.' ... Barr said his client, Smyrna gun dealer Adventure Outdoors, was deceived and defamed by Bloomberg's lawsuit. His lawsuit seeks $400 million in damages. 'We didn't start this fight. They did,' Barr told a cheering crowd in Marietta's city square. 'But we intend to finish it and win.'" (07/20/06)

Fighting fire with fire - unpleasant, dangerous, but sometimes necessary.

CA: Man fires at burglar trying to ram him
San Diego Union Tribune
"A 66-year-old homeowner fired several shots at a burglar who apparently tried to run him over Tuesday morning after the resident surprised the man burglarizing his house. The homeowner armed himself with a pistol when he heard a noise in his house on Aldwych Road near Rimrock Road shortly after 10 a.m., said Lt. Steve Shakowski of the El Cajon Police Department. The resident found a man in his house near the back door. The intruder had already taken some of the man's property out of the house and had stacked it outside. The homeowner ordered the man to stop, Shakowski said. But even though he was at gunpoint, the intruder ran away to a pickup truck parked outside. The resident followed the man, only to have the intruder try to ram him with the truck, Shakowski said. He said the bullets missed the driver but hit the truck and one of its tires. " (07/20/06)

Too bad he missed the driver - I don't suppose the thug that tried to kill a man with his car will be prohibited from ever owning or driving a vehicle again, will he?

CA: Paintball shooter baflfes police
San Francisco Chronicle
"Berkeley motorists and pedestrians -- and even a dog -- have been stung by paintballs at 10 different locations in recent weeks, police said Wednesday, likely by someone who is firing the projectiles from a car. One victim was reportedly struck in the throat. 'These incidents have caused welts, distress and damage by a variety of paintball colors,' Sgt. Mary Kusmiss said. 'The victims thus far have escaped serious injury, although the possibility is very real.' The first attacks began on June 13 and the last one happened Sunday, police said. The incidents were typically in the afternoon or just before sunset. They were spread across several neighborhoods, sparing only the southwest areas of the city and the Berkeley hills. Most attacks were on or near busy main streets such as Shattuck or University avenues." (07/20/06)

Most paintball guns have no resemblance to real weapons, but this guy is going to attack the wrong person one of these days, and all that a good gun-carrying citizen will see is a muzzle from a car window, and shoot this guy dead. This is NOT polite, sir.

Mama's Note: A paintball could do serious damage if a person were struck in the eye. The people who use these for sport wear protective gear for a very good reason. The sooner someone stops this guy, by whatever means necessary, the better.

Stupid Government Tricks
As always, we can find a few choice bits to smile (and scream) about.

"Democracy builders" drawing ire
Arizona Republic
"Few Americans have ever heard of them. Yet these private nonprofit groups receive millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars each year to promote 'democratic' values in some of the most repressive places in the world. They help to monitor elections for fairness, educate citizens about their rights, build trade unions and fledgling political parties, train new judges and underwrite free media. Supporters praise the groups for advancing freedom and promoting American ideals abroad. But a growing number of foreign governments complain that these democracy-building groups maneuver behind the scenes to help destabilize and topple their governments, including in countries where the official U.S. policy has been to work through diplomatic channels with those same governments." [Editor's note: Once again, the oxymoronic "imposed democracy" disproves itself, as this all-too-imperfect means is confused with the end of promoting individual liberty, and used as a cover for imperial dominance of a culture - SAT] (07/16/06)

Steve's right - first, democracy is a fraud from the git-go: two wolves and a sheep voting on lunch. Second, imposed democracy is the grizzly telling the wolves and sheep they have to vote. But clearly, if we have a right to travel, and we have a right to change our government, we cannot deny a person the right to travel, adopt a new home (however temporary) and then work to change that government, as long as aggressive force or the threat thereof is not employed. Of course corrupt and oppressive governments (both foreign and at home) will complain - they are the ones getting hit, after all!

Mama's Note: As far as I'm concerned, any outfit getting taxpayer money is NOT a "private group," whether or not they are "nonprofit." These are government fronts and shills, doing the dirty work for their masters all over the world.

Big Dig fall: Mere accident or crime?
Christian Science Monitor
"The collapse of ceiling panels in one of Boston's Big Dig tunnels this week caused a fatality. So was it just an accident or a crime? So far, state investigators are treating it as a crime. In an unusual move, Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly says he is pursuing a criminal investigation instead of a civil suit, which is normally employed after construction accidents. The action is unlikely to send contractors or government officials to prison, legal experts say, but the action does give prosecutors additional legal tools to look for wrongdoing. Such tools may be crucial as investigators focus on just how much contractors and managers knew about problems with suspect bolt fixtures prior to Monday's failure. Transportation officials have linked those bolt fixtures to the collapse of concrete ceiling panels, which killed a Boston woman. Now, Mr. Reilly is charging that contractors knew as early as 1999 that there was a problem with those bolts because five of them failed during testing." (07/16/06)

Considering that the entire "Big Dig" was a crime - massive theft and fraud on the part of politicians and anyone involved with them for decades - it should come as no surprise that traditional construction fraud (especially traditional government-contract type fraud) would be rampant in this boondoggle. The real criminals, for the most part, will never pay.

Mama's Note: Shoddy workmanship and irresponsible supervision can never be a "mere accident," especially when government is concerned. Unfortunately, Nathan is so right. Those who are truly responsible will never be held accountable. They'll find some scapegoat and eagerly start the next "project."

Civilians mull following base jobs
Anderson Herald Bulletin
"Tens of thousands of civilians who work at military bases the government plans to close face the same choice as the Savareses -- relocate or look for a new job. The Pentagon says the plan to close 22 major bases by 2011 and reconfigure many others will save $4.2 billion a year. The base-closings commission held a relocation fair for civilian workers at the Army's Fort Monmouth research and development installation, telling them about housing and schools in Maryland. Their jobs are moving to the Aberdeen Proving Ground near the Chesapeake Bay." (07/16/06)

This is the third or fourth round, not counting numerous other reductions in force (commonly called "RIFs" by those involved). RIFs are hard on everyone, but a fact of life. Of course, if government had not become so bloated (including the military bureaucracy and infrastructure) these would not be nearly as pervasive. I wish them luck, but suggest they consider the private sector. The water is cold, but it's clean.

Senate poised to pass stem cell bill
MSNBC
"The White House emphatically renewed President Bush's threat to veto a bill heading toward Senate passage that would authorize federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, a practice Bush loathes. 'If (the bill) were presented to the president, he would veto the bill,' read a fresh official statement of administration policy Monday, with the sentence underlined for emphasis." (07/17/06)

Is it any wonder that states like South Dakota have so many people convinced that the FedGov will do nothing to protect anyone who can't write out a campaign check? Bush hasn't vetoed a thing yet - what makes him think Congress will believe he will veto this? And for those who think I'm just being a religious nut about this, let me quote: ""By its very nature, government politicizes everything it touches. Science is no exception. Stem cell research needs neither government money nor politics. It is better to get the government out and let the private sector continue its good work. Those people calling for increased funding could take out their checkbooks and support it. Those who oppose embryonic stem cell research would not be forced to pay for it." - Michael Tanner, Cato Daily Dispatch, 7/18/06

Mama's Note: The really incredible part is that all this is unnecessary. Embryonic stem cells are, so far as I've read, not the unique miracle they've been hyped up to be. Stem cells from other sources that do not involve the death of a living human, are as good or superior - and far more easily available! I do not understand the drive for this, but you can well believe it is political, not medical.

Democrats press Bush on Voting Rights Act
CNN
"Two Democrats called on President Bush to use his rare appearance before the NAACP's annual conference to renew the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act, arguing that such a step would ensure a basic right for minorities. Signing the legislation, however, would require Bush to pressure the Republican-controlled Senate to act quickly in passing the renewal that the House approved last week." (07/19/06)

This is one law that is considered "progressive" that has done at least as much harm as good, but that is almost certain to eventually pass so that its evil can continue.

Mama's Note: What ever happened to "liberty and justice for all?" Some animals are more equal than others, I guess.

CA: Supervisors expand health plan coverage
San Francisco Chronicle
"The San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave initial approval Tuesday to a plan to extend health care coverage to the uninsured by opening up and expanding the city's system of physicians and clinics now serving poor city residents. The plan, a merger of proposals put forth by Supervisor Tom Ammiano and Mayor Gavin Newsom, would go into effect next year, provided it passes a second board vote next week and is signed into law by Newsom -- both considered virtual certainties. 'We want to put health care on the front burner,' Ammiano said, just before the unanimous 11-0 board vote in favor. 'We are well on our way to that admirable goal.' The key political compromise that led to passage Tuesday was an agreement between the mayor and the more liberal Board of Supervisors majority that city businesses be required to contribute to health care coverage for their employees." (07/19/06)

Watch the flight of businesses out, and the flight of more and more homeless and marginal workers into the city, to take advantage of this. And watch them beg Sacramento and DC for more of your and my money to help pay for this boondoggle.

Mama's Note: Will the last person leaving California please turn out the light...

Congressional negotiators close to finishing pension bill
USA Today
"Republicans expressed confidence Thursday that pension overhaul legislation, after months of negotiation, would make it to the president before Congress' August break. 'We're very very close and we should be able to wrap this up next week,' said the chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Rep. Howard 'Buck' McKeon, R-Calif. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, a chief negotiator in the House-Senate talks that have dragged on since March, said the bill no longer would allow employers to underfund pension plans and would protect taxpayers from a multibillion-dollar bailout." (07/20/06)

If you believe this is going to work, and that crooks won't find a way to get around this - or that government will really be able to enforce this - then you have been asleep for the last half-century plus.

Senate renews 1965 Voting Rights Act
Redding Record Searchlight
"The 1965 Voting Rights Act, which opened voting booths to millions of black Americans, won a 25-year extension from Congress Thursday as Republicans sought to improve their standing with minorities before the fall election. The legislation, approved 98-0 by the Senate after last week's overwhelming House passage, now goes to President Bush, who told the NAACP earlier in the day that he looked forward to signing it." (07/20/06)

Of course, this was exactly what was expected, just as Bush will sign this piece of trash back into force once more - as a pundit once said, "If voting really made any difference, it would be illegal." It is probably no coincidence that the original VRA was passed well after the time that the American Republic was dead.

China: Vegetables to get Olympic identity codes
Reuters
"As if China didn't have its hands full keeping tabs on its 1.3 billion people, the country will now begin tracking its vegetables. In an attempt to ensure food safety during the 2008 Olympics, Beijing is to give every cabbage, carrot and pea pod its own identity number and file, the Beijing News reported on Wednesday. If there is a 'safety incident' the vegetable's file can be immediately checked and its origins traced, the newspaper said, in a report accompanied by graphics showing personnel at computers tracking each vegetable's path from farm to plate." (07/19/06)

What stupidity and hubris to think that they can track everything like this. Watch as food rots due to these rules.

Mama's Note: I thought this was a sick joke at first. The Chinese government has been smoking too many of their own poppies, I think. Do they really suppose that 1.3 billion people will calmly wait and starve while bureaucrats stamp numbers on peas? Insane.

TN: Gulch owners may up taxes for "services"
Nashville City Paper
"Property owners in downtown's highflying Gulch district are mulling the creation of a localized property tax increase for themselves in an effort to procure extra city services such as cleaning crews and special security protections. The move to establish what is called a business improvement district (BID) for the area, a former railroad hub, has been led by Gulch visionary Joe Barker. Barker is a partner in Nashville Urban Venture, which the Metro Development and Housing Agency chose several years ago to lead the redevelopment efforts of the roughly 30-acre site. Metro, for its part, has pumped $6.7 million into the area to provide for infrastructure improvements now apparent. Under a Metro Council bill the legislative body will consider on the first of three readings at its meeting Tuesday, property taxes in the Gulch would be increased by 15 cents per $100 of assessed value." [FND Editor's note: The first question might be, why do they need to use a property-tax hike to accomplish this? Why not just pool resources among those who want the work done, and pay for it that way? Stay tuned - SAT] (07/17/06)

The answer to Steve's question is, of course, that voluntary efforts at cooperation have failed and this "visionary" (sounds like a thug to me) is too lazy to do anything but use government to force his neighbors to cough up. Is there any difference between that and any capo shaking down protection money for "services provided"? I can't see one, except that the capo doesn't have someone outside his organization do the dirty work, and might even do it himself.

'Crank' It Up, Suburbs: Coke, Smack, Pot Trail Meth
CNS News
- While the nation's law enforcement officers are making progress in limiting the supply of methamphetamine, demand rages, producing more problems for local police than cocaine, heroine and marijuana combined, a new survey reveals...

It appears that the meth drug business is going through "Wal-Mart-ization" as superlabs replace the smaller, "mom-and-pop" operations, but the production and sale continues seemingly unabated by any government efforts.

Stupid People Tricks
As always, stupidity crosses political lines easily: both liberals and conservatives have some outrageous items to groan about this week - and even people on our side sometimes goof! Remember, these are the people who will be casting votes to decide your future in a democratic system, or the powers that be in a authoritarian system. See why government is such a bad idea, no matter how it is run?

CA: Staffers at paper join large protest
Editor & Publisher
"Dressed in black and their mouths taped shut, reporters and staff of the Santa Barbara News-Press staged a protest Friday over a recent wave of resignations at the newspaper. More than 300 supporters roared with applause and shouts when about 25 News-Press employees emerged from the newspaper's Spanish-style landmark building and walked to a microphone in an adjacent park. Reporter Melinda Burns said newspaper staffers have been ordered not to speak about internal operations and were threatened with dismissal if they did. 'We are very sorry we can't speak, but thank you for coming,' she said, stepping away from the microphone as members of the group put duct tape over their mouths. Many in the crowd hoisted signs, including ones that read: 'Free the News' and 'No More News Suppress.'" (07/15/06)

Can any of these protesters really read what they are protesting about? A lot appear to be functionally illiterate - but then so are many of the staff of the newspapers, based on the spelling, grammar, and factual errors which fill the pages of America's dailies.

"Conservationists" aim to double Bay Area open space
San Francisco Chronicle
"Bay Area conservationists have set a bold goal of preserving another 1 million acres of land within 30 years, an unprecedented effort that would profoundly shape where and how we live by doubling the region's permanent open space. Never before has so vast a metropolitan landscape been protected, and the very idea alarms some who say a region with a critical housing shortage and ghastly commutes cannot afford to set aside 46 percent of its land. Conservationists argue preservation and growth can occur simultaneously. They concede there will be compromises all around as they work with landowners, developers and policymakers. And they know reaching their goal will require a level of money and public will that may be difficult to muster." (07/16/06)

If they want to see what it is like to live with all that "open space," I suggest that they visit Aspen or Jackson Hole. Or Boulder. The Bay Area is clearly looking for ways to sustain the ever-spiraling home and land prices - and setting aside another million acres of private land would certainly help that.

Study: Poor pay more for services
San Francisco Chronicle
"Low-income residents of 13 cities across the nation pay extra for many everyday services, sometimes thousands of dollars more over a whole year, a study to be released today shows. By taking out higher-interest mortgages, shopping at rent-to-own furniture stores, using check-cashing businesses instead of banks and buying groceries at convenience stores, the nation's working poor households pay much more than moderate- and high-income households for life's essentials, says the Brookings Institution study, which analyzed services in San Francisco, Oakland and 11 other cities. The report -- 'From Poverty, Opportunity: Putting the Market to Work for Lower-Income Families' -- calls on government officials to create laws to curb services that gouge low-income consumers, and it proposes reproducing fledgling programs the authors found across the country." [Editor's note: Having been what most would call a "member of the working poor" for years, this is both correct and very deceptive. Low-cost stores like Aldi and Dollar General, along with a few loan companies that don't gouge, make it possible to live very cheaply, even if you have little to spare - SAT] [additional Editor's note: I second that motion -- Aldi rules - TLK] (07/18/06)

Steve and Tom make a good point on this - NO ONE forces the "working poor" to patronize these thieves in merchant's clothing. And it doesn't take a degree in anything to realize that the various rent-to-own stores, convenience stores, etc. are charging exorbitant prices for marginal goods. Take check-cashing: credit unions don't refuse to keep money on deposit from the poor. And Wal-Mart and other supermarket chains don't have bouncers at the door forcing people to use 7-Eleven or C-Mart. And there is no law saying that furniture and electronics have to be bought new - secondhand is no sin.

Mama's Note: In addition, the driving force of much of this is the desire for instant gratification. Instead of saving their money to buy furniture, etc. they can have it all immediately, even if they don't have enough credit to buy decent stuff. This way, they get cheap crap and wind up paying what good furniture would cost. Nobody forces them to do so. Many of the check cashing places will "loan" against your next paycheck. This way they can drink it all up before they even get it!

The old fashioned ethics of "the poor" are gone. Millions in the past worked hard and saved their money to ensure that they and their children moved up in life. It still happens, of course, but millions of others live hand to mouth deliberately, generation after generation, while they whine for others to "help."

Gingrich calls current conflicts "World War III"
Seattle Times
"Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich says America is in World War III and President Bush should say so. Gingrich said in an interview Saturday that Bush should call a joint session of Congress the first week of September and talk about global military conflicts in much starker terms than have been heard from the president. 'We need to have the militancy that says 'We're not going to lose a city,'' Gingrich said. ... There is a political element to his talk of World War III. Gingrich said that public opinion can change 'the minute you use the language' of World War III. The message then, he said, is, 'OK, if we're in the third world war, which side do you think should win?'" (07/17/06)

Plain talking? Maybe? Right? Probably. Worth listening to? Please, give me a break. In the world war we are now engaged in, Gingrich is either on the wrong side (that of the statists) or AWOL.

Bush: Is this thing on? (tap, tap)
USA Today
"President Bush got bit again Monday by the open-microphone bug. Apparently unaware that his words were being broadcast, Bush offered an unvarnished assessment of Syria's alleged support for Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. He also criticized United Nations Secretary-general Kofi Annan, teased British Prime Minister Tony Blair about a sweater he recently gave the president, and joked about the long-windedness of some unnamed world leaders." (07/17/06)

Gee - a regular guy. Well, it won't change anyone's opinion of him, will it?

NAACP issues corporate report cards
Philadelphia Inquirer
"Even companies that make an effort to work with minority-owned businesses typically spend barely 5 percent of their contracting dollars with them, the NAACP president said Monday as his group released report cards on several industries. Blacks shouldn't spend money with companies that don't hire them or advertise in their communities, NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon said. 'If corporations spend their money on us, we'll spend our money with those corporations,' he said. 'It's real simple.'" (07/17/06)

In other words, it is sinful to be colorblind, according to the NAACP. These guys can spend their money with whomever they want to - and use it to "punish" some businesses, but those businesses can't have the same freedom, can they?

Reed blames tribes for laundering scheme
TPM Muckraker
"The Indians made me do it. On the eve of a tense primary election, that's Ralph Reed's defense against corruption accusations that threaten to capsize his candidacy for Georgia lieutenant governor. Reed is suffering some punishing body blows from his opponent for his schemes to use money from Indian casinos to pay for Christian anti-gambling efforts -- by funneling the cash through shell companies to disguise its true source. The charges have been around for months, of course -- accompanied by ample evidence that Reed played a key role in concocting the schemes and putting them into practice. To date he has dodged the allegations by first claiming ignorance of the clients, and then woodenly chiming that 'Had I known then what I know now, I would not have undertaken the work.' But yesterday, he changed his tune -- and blamed the Indians." (07/17/06)

I suppose that there are some people who consider Reed to be a Christian, just as there are those who consider Bush to be one - but both are just sleazy politicians who are poor role models and unlikely to order their political lives according to Scripture.

Croatia: Robber's gamble too far
Ananova [UK]
"An armed robber who held up a string of betting shops in Croatia was arrested after he returned to one to place a bet. The 28-year-old had robbed 35 bookies in the Croatian capital Zagreb, making off with around £1,000 a time. But he did not cover his face in any of them and when he walked into a shop in the Crnomerec district of the city, a teller recognised him immediately and called police. A police spokesman said: "It was unbelievable. He robbed 35 different shops and then he happily walked back into one ready to spend the exact same money he'd got robbing them."Police said he has admitted to the robberies, and is being held in custody awaiting sentencing." (07/19/06)

Ah, the criminal mind.

Dick Gregory Blasts 'Insane, Racist System' in America
CNS News
Comedian/activist Dick Gregory told the 97th annual convention of the NAACP in Washington, D.C., this week that the problems faced by African Americans are caused by several factors, including an "insane, racist system" that favors whites -- and pollution that "turns ordinary people into violent criminals."

In a world in which most black people are tyrannized by thugs (dictators, bureaucrats, etc.) of their own color, while he has grown up and pursued his life and career in a country which (for all its many, many faults) has let him succeed beyond the wildest dreams of millions if not billions of people, you might think Mr. Gregory would be able to criticize this nation without resorting to outright fabrications and lies that go far beyond hyperbole.

Trial Lawyers' Group Changes Its Name
CNS News
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America, meeting in Seattle, voted to change its name to The American Association for Justice on Wednesday. That drew an immediate retort from a frequent critic of trial lawyers...

Well, considering the trial lawyer's propensity for telling untruths, this is perfectly suitable, isn't it? Just another lie. (Q: How can you tell when a lawyer is lying? A. His mouth is open.)

Mama's Note: They don't even have to move their lips...

Mexico: Obrador urges civil resistance
Washington Post
"Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the runner-up in Mexico's presidential election, called on a massive crowd Sunday to commit acts of 'peaceful civil resistance' to force a vote-by-vote recount. Lopez Obrador's exhortation significantly intensified his efforts to use public pressure to reverse his apparent half-percentage-point loss to Felipe Calderon, a free-trade booster. The rally in Mexico City's downtown square, the Zocalo, was the latest and largest flash point in a two-week electoral crisis expected to last two months while a special elections court hears Lopez Obrador's fraud allegations and decides whether to conduct a recount." (07/17/06)

To be honest, I am surprised that there hasn't been more violence, but this weekend may change that. Obrador and his followers are being as stupid as can be if they think that Calderon will give an inch: he's the new massa, and that's all he cares about.

Tech, Medical, and Weather News
Some good news in various things, some warnings about what is coming down the pike, and a few stories about getting cooked at home and abroad!

Fears of Dot-Com crash, Version 2.0
Los Angeles Times
"Is the bubble about to burst -- again? Investment in Internet companies has climbed so steeply since the dot-com crash of 2000 that some Silicon Valley veterans worry that too much money is again pouring into too many unproven, unprofitable ideas -- setting the stage for another high-tech shakeout. Watching venture capital firms invest hundreds of millions of dollars in new Web companies last year, longtime Internet executive Richard Wolpert branded the upswing 'a mini-bubble.' But 'about a month ago,' he said, 'I started dropping the word 'mini.'' In the first three months of this year, venture investors funded 761 deals worth about $5.6 billion. That's up 12% from the same period last year and the highest first quarter since 2002. One sector in particular is heating up fast: online media and entertainment." (07/16/06)

Wherever there are suckers with money, there will be predators waiting to suck the money up. But it is easier on-line, and with dot-coms.

FDA approves contraceptive implant
Fox News
"Implanon, a rod-shaped contraceptive implanted in the upper arm for up to three years, received federal approval, health officials said Tuesday. Food and Drug Administration approval clears Organon USA to sell the birth control rod in the United States, agency spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said. Implanon, which can stop menstruation in many women, has been sold in more than 30 countries since 1998. The matchstick-sized implant releases a low, steady dose of progestin to prevent pregnancy. The rod is inserted by a doctor under the skin of the upper arm. It can be removed at any time, according to the company, a unit of Netherlands-based Akzo Nobel. Progestin is a synthetic hormone similar to the progesterone made in the ovaries." [Editor's note: With the FDA's recent track-record on assuring safety, and its increasingly incestuous relationship with Big Pharma, caveat emptor! - SAT] (07/18/06)

Steve has it right. At the same time, each person has to compare the risk and make the decision for themselves.

Space shuttle Discovery lands safely
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
"The shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned safely home Monday, rejuvenating a space program that until now had been vexed by the same chronic foam problem that brought down Columbia three years ago. Within hours of the smooth touchdown, NASA was already looking ahead to the next shuttle launch in just six weeks and, with it, the long-awaited return to construction work on the half-finished space station." (07/17/06)

Well, they rolled the dice and won - for now. Just think - private industry and initiative would have us still on the moon, thirty years later - not playing baby steps with antiques that belong in museums.

NC: Insect's spread threatens hemlock forests
Yahoo! News
"Within the serene forests that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to southern Appalachia every year, a quiet massacre is under way. A tiny pest small enough to float on the breeze -- a bug called the hemlock woolly adelgid -- is slowly poisoning the majestic hemlock trees that make up much of the green canopy in the rugged region, threatening the scenery that visitors admire from the overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the cliffs of Chimney Rock Park. ... Adelgids can be killed off, at least temporarily, by injecting insecticides into the trees or the surrounding soil, by spraying trees with an insecticide or soap solution, or by releasing beetles that feed on the adelgids. But there are limits to money and manpower, and soil injections are believed to provide only about five years of protection. ... Once the current infestation has run its course, the adelgid population will crash and achieve a rough equilibrium with the now outnumbered beetle population. The beetles should then be able to hold the adelgids in check, allowing the hemlocks to grow back." (07/17/06)

This is the latest in a cycle in the eastern forests, like the passage of Dutch Elm disease decades ago, and the chestnut blight of the early 1900s, which are changing the Eastern forests drastically. Pine Bark Beetle is sometimes reported to be doing the same in the Western US (attacking Ponderosa pine) and you also hear sob stories about the destruction of the vast groves of Aspen - blamed on the "white man" or "global warming" or "fire prevention" or whatever, depending on your particular bias.

We interfere in natural processes, usually unintentionally, and then interfere some more trying to fix what we did - usually messing up still more. And, for that matter, it reminds me of the problem with bananas, and why we may all be eating a different breed of bananas in a few years. It happened once before, back in the late 1950s - and everyone had to get used to a different type of banana. Now, after 40 years of eating the same tree's bananas over and over (the bananas of today, whether Dole or Chiquita, are all from clones of the same tree), we might in a few years have to start all over again! And government can't do a thing about it.

Tiny chip the size of a pencil dot
San Francisco Chronicle
"Hewlett-Packard's newest microchip looks like a small sticker that can be attached to virtually any object: a photograph, a patient's hospital tag, a movie poster. But the device, which is the size of a pencil dot, can pack a lot of information: the voice of a child pictured in a photo, a summary of someone's medical history on a hospital tag, or even a trailer of a movie portrayed on a poster. The Memory Spot operates similarly to radio frequency identity, or RFID, tags now being used to track inventory and company supplies. But the HP chip is smaller, more powerful and capable of recording and broadcasting more kinds of information." (07/17/06)

To first glance, this seems to be exactly what a lot of us have feared about RFID chips: smaller, more powerful, and capable of spying on us and telling more about us than earlier versions. We can call these the spymaster's dream, indeed. What I want to know is how susceptible they are to various methods of burning them out and disabling them?

Mama's Note: Well, as soon as someone can get their hands on a few of the little buggers, we can experiment with the microwave and a strong magnet, for starters. We all know that the microwave does a dandy job with anything like that, but there are lots of things that can't be put in a microwave to start with. I am sure that there will be a big market for whatever device is invented to zap these things. And they they will be 'banned," of course... and around the mulberry bush we go.

Business takes one small step into space
Christian Science Monitor
"Some 120 miles higher than the International Space Station orbits, an alternate vision for spaceflight has arrived. The new kid on the cosmic block is Genesis 1, a diminutive prototype for what could be a new generation of inflatable, commercial space stations, orbital hotels, or even living quarters and labs for the moon or Mars. The module, which has the silhouette of a 14-feet-long, 8-feet-wide blunt sausage, lofted on a Russian rocket last week. The Genesis may be small, but it should not be underestimated. Its successful launch and deployment add an important dimension to efforts to open the final frontier to Everyman, analysts say. Genesis 1 'is incredibly significant,' says George Whitesides, executive director of the National Space Society, a space-advocacy group in Washington. 'This is the only real, funded project that's trying to create a destination in space privately, as opposed to the other folks, who are creating private launch vehicles.'" (07/17/06)

Neat idea - and it seems that government is either ignoring it or letting it pass without much hassle.

FDA wants antidepressants to list new risks
MSNBC
"Information about risks to newborns and migraine sufferers linked to some of the world's most widely used antidepressants should be added to the drug labels, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. The FDA warned that taking antidepressants known as SSRIs - including Prozac and Zoloft - or certain SNRIs in combination with migraine drugs known as triptans could result in a life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome." (07/19/06)

For those of us who have always been hesitant about mind-altering drugs, this just reinforces our decision to have as little as possible to do with them.

Mama's Note: Good thinking, but don't stop with those considered "mind altering." Any chemical - or herb, for that matter - needs to be considered carefully, possible benefit against possible risk. Unfortunately, it's hard to get honest information about most drugs. The best rule of thumb is: if you can possibly do without it, don't take it. There are many alternatives. See this article for more information. The lawlessness of the FDA, Big Pharma immunity, and crimes against humanity.

AZ: State watching for supergerms
Arizona Republic
"Supergerms that resist antibiotics are spreading in Arizona, sickening some patients for months and prompting health officials to step up prevention efforts. Doctors are urging patients to take extra precautions against spreading hard-to-treat infections, especially staph infections that break out in the skin but can spread to other parts of the body. It's not known if any deaths from superbacteria have occurred in the state. Deaths have occurred elsewhere, but Arizona officials are tracking only numbers of cases, not outcomes. 'What was terrible was to see my tiny little newborn in an isolation room,' said Heidi Wesolowski of Phoenix, whose son Payson developed an antibiotic-resistant staph infection after a complicated delivery last month and had to be hospitalized for a month." (07/19/06)

Are they really not tracking deaths? Or just not telling the facts for fear of panic. One of the big problems (from a lay point of view - Mama Liberty may chime in, too) is that for too long, we all depended on the wonders of modern antibiotics and failed to practice good hygiene in hospitals, clinics, and elsewhere.

Mama's Note: It's not a matter of hygiene, really - though that certainly helps. It's a matter of a weakened immune system and overuse of antibiotics which bred these superbugs. They are very real, but your best protection is a healthy immune system and STAYING OUT of hospitals. They are very dangerous places, for many reasons. If you have a cold or flu more than once every few years, you need to vastly improve your immune system. I have never had the flu, and my last "cold" was 25 years ago.

MIT vows to press its scientists to collaborate
Boston Globe
"The president of MIT yesterday called for a broad examination of the university's world-renowned brain research program following recent allegations that a Nobel laureate bullied a scientist the university was trying to recruit. Susan Hockfield, a neuroscientist who is president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the school will form a committee to find ways to improve collaboration between neuroscience professors, some of whom are bitter competitors. Her decision is a sign that MIT fears divisiveness could threaten the university's efforts to lead one of science's fastest-moving fields. In a letter responding to professors who wanted MIT to investigate the senior professor's treatment of the job recruit, Hockfield said there are 'ongoing tensions among MIT's neuroscience entities' and suggested that the current situation 'threatens ongoing disruption of the collegiality of our academic enterprise.'" (07/19/06)

Notice the MIT is not punishing the bully, just trying to tap dance around his actions. This is typical academia, in 21st Century America.

Ford First To Offer Clean-Burning Hydrogen Vehicles
Space War Daily
Ford on Monday became the first automaker to begin production of a commercially viable hydrogen engine, which emits little but clean water vapor into the air. The hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines are destined for shuttle buses and will be ready for delivery later this year, said Ford Motor Co. spokesman Nick Twork.

Consumers won't see these for a while, and while no doubt President Bush will be happy, converting natural gas into hydrogen and claiming a "clean fuel" is about as stupid as converting coal into electricity and claiming the same thing. Still, it is nice to see a major firm developing a engine designed from the gitgo to burn H2. But I don't think the future of H2 burning is in the internal combustion engine - fuel cells and electric motors make much more sense, at least without transmission losses.

Weather News
The last three stories in the "Tech" section this week deal with the current, and continuing, heat wave across much of the world. Temperatures in places like Pierre, South Dakota, have been more like those expected in Baghdad: 120F last week. Well into the hundreds in much of the West, and in Southern Europe, have been common. I suppose I should think of this as a good thing: jack-booted thugs usually wear dark uniforms (often black) and that should make life more miserable for them than for us who don't have to do that!

Europe's Heat Wave Claims Five More Lives
Space War Daily
Much of Europe on Tuesday baked in tropical temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in some places, in a heatwave that has claimed at least six lives. Five deaths related to the oppressive heat were recorded on Tuesday alone, following the death Sunday of a man in Murcia, southern Spain.

Records busting those set in 2003 have again raised the screams of "global warming." Like North America, Europe is hard hit this year, and SURELY it has to be someone's fault. For a continent that no longer believes much in God, obviously the evil Americans can be the authors of this evil, as well: either our cowboy president or our vicious international corporations.

US Simmers As Record Temperatures Reap Transport Chaos
Space War Daily
US cities opened special "cooling centers" Tuesday amid a national heat wave that ramped up energy demand and caused a lengthy outage at one of the country's busiest airports. Temperatures in many regions soared into triple digits, breaking records and leaving resident cradling their air conditioners for comfort. For New Yorkers, the Big Apple was more like the Baked Apple, and transport woes did nothing to soothe people's frazzled nerves.

It has been hot - and of course, we blame the government, big business, and God - at least here in this country.

340 dead ... so why were two tsunami alerts ignored
The Scotsman
INDONESIA received alerts from two regional agencies that Monday's undersea earthquake could trigger a tsunami, but officials made no attempt to alert threatened communities, a government minister admitted yesterday.

A government once more fails, even with the world watching.

Britain so sizzling judges flip their wigs
Arizona Republic
"Lions licked blood-flavored ice blocks in the zoo, judges went wigless in court and guards at Buckingham Palace ducked into the shade. Britain faced the hottest day ever recorded in July on Wednesday as a heat wave swept much of Europe. Temperatures hit 96.6 degrees south of London. It was so hot some road surfaces melted. Two people died in Spain as temperatures climbed above 104 degrees, while officials in France said as many as nine people who died recently were believed to be victims of the heat. But with its aging buildings and infrequent brushes with sweltering temperatures, Britain was particularly ill-equipped for the heat wave. London's Underground has no air-conditioning, and the Evening Standard newspaper measured temperatures in the train system at 117 degrees. Operator Transport for London takes no measurements but did not dispute the figure." (07/20/06)

From modern melting pot to stewpot, apparently. Heat waves continue.

World Wars Today
It seems that even with the heat, all the would-be hot spots continue to be hot!

North Korea rejects UN missile call
CNN
"North Korea on Sunday staunchly rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution sanctioning the communist nation for recent missile tests, and warned the measure was a prelude to a renewed 'Korean war.' The North also said, without elaborating, that it would 'bolster its war deterrent for self-defense' -- a phrase often used to refer to its nuclear weapons program. But the U.S. warned of more action against the North if it continues to abstain from international talks on its nuclear program, which it has boycotted for more than eight months." (07/16/06)

I enjoyed the cartoon of Kim holding a pistol to his head and warning "One more step and I shoot the idiot." North Korea is continuing to demonstrate the evil of government in general, and the complete stupidity of far too many people in government and under the control of government. Ultimately, Kim expects to again be paid off.

Mexico: Lopez Obrador leads recount protest march
Yahoo! News
"Claiming fraud robbed him of the presidency, leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led hundreds of thousands of marchers through Mexico's capital Sunday, demanding a full recount in the disputed election apparently won by his conservative opponent. The Roman Catholic Church canceled Mass at the downtown cathedral as protesters overwhelmed the massive central plaza and spilled for blocks down nearby streets. Bands played, firecrackers boomed and the leftist party's yellow banners waved in the breeze. Police officials from the pro-Lopez Obrador city government said [as] many as 900,000 people took part. On the ground, the crowd appeared to be much smaller, though still vast." (07/16/06)

Sour grapes or a legitimate gripe? Whichever it is, the thin shell of Mexican democracy is showing severe cracks.

Journalists arrested for covering G-8 summit
Reporters without Borders
"Reporters Without Borders voiced outrage at police violence today in Moscow against a German journalist who was covering protests against this weekend's G8 summit St. Petersburg, and the detention of two other German journalists in St. Petersburg since the night of 9 July. Boris Reitschuster, the correspondent of the German magazine Focus, was attacked by police today as he was taking photos of anti-G8 protesters who were themselves the victim of police violence. Reitschuster's mobile phone was briefly confiscated by the police during the incident. Eike Korfhage and Henning Wallerius, two students working as journalists for Hertz 97,8, a university radio station, were arrested at their home on the night of 9 July by the St. Petersburg police, who accused them of participating in an anti-G8 protest and taking photos. They were subsequently sentenced to 10 days in detention for 'urinating in public,' a charge they deny." (07/13/06)

Sounds like the militia haven't changed much since the bolshie days, have they?

Indonesia: Hundreds dead, missing in tsunami
ABC News
"The death toll from a tsunami that smashed into fishing villages and resorts on Indonesia's Java island has crossed 340, and over 200 more people are missing, officials said on Tuesday. At least four non-Indonesians were among the dead and 54,000 people were displaced, they said. No warnings had been reported ahead of the waves, which struck on Monday afternoon, despite regional efforts to establish early warning systems after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that left 230,000 killed or missing, including 170,000 in Indonesia. But many residents and tourists on the southern Java coast recognised the signs and fled to higher ground as the sea receded before huge waves came crashing ashore." (07/18/06)

Despite what this story says, other reports say that warnings were sent by various agencies and organizations, but apparently the Indonesian guvmint felt it was unimportant and failed to pass on the warnings.

Africa: Congo rebel chief "to disarm"
BBC News [UK]
"A Congolese rebel leader who kidnapped seven Nepalese United Nations peacekeepers in May has agreed to lay down his weapons, the UN says. Peter Karim and 60 of his fighters have agreed to end their war against the government, a UN spokesman said. ... Mr. Karim and his Front of Nationalists and Integrationists (FNI) militia are one of several armed groups based in the volatile, mineral-rich northeastern Ituri province. The UN mission in DR Congo (Monuc) has been helping the Congolese army to disarm militias across the east, ahead of elections on 30 July." (07/17/06)

There will be another one next week to take his place - as has been the case since at least 1960 when the French "gave out" and probably right back to the first settlements in what is now the Congo River Valley.

A pledge to track uranium fades
Boston Globe
"Four years after the leaders of the world's eight largest economies vowed to raise $20 billion over 10 years to prevent terrorists from obtaining nuclear materials, only $3.5 billion has been donated -- and far less has been used to secure enriched uranium, the key ingredient of a nuclear weapon. Hundreds of tons of uranium remain at loosely guarded facilities across Russia and the former Soviet Union, and in nearly 40 other countries, according to specialists. And the need to secure the material has grown: In April, Russian police arrested a foreman in a nuclear plant for attempting to sell 22 kilograms of uranium. At the annual meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Russia last week, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin -- calling nuclear terrorism the 'greatest threat we face today' -- announced a new effort to train other countries to track, secure, and intercept nuclear materials that may be sought by terrorist groups." (07/17/06)

More and more words, but less and less action, it would seem.

Defender of Brazil's youth faces clash with state
Christian Science Monitor
"In her grubby office in downtown São Paulo, Conceicao Paganele leafs through a pile of letters from all over the world. She can't read French, German, or English but she doesn't have to. She knows what they say and it is this: 'To São Paulo [State] Governor Claudio Lembo: Please stop harassing this woman who has made it her life to defend imprisoned youths. If the death threats and intimidation continue or if something happens to her, you will be responsible.' A petite woman in her 50s, Ms. Paganele is an unlikely poster girl for human rights. But since she was accused by the São Paulo state government of inciting riots and jailbreaks, organized crime, and causing property damage inside juvenile detention centers, or FEBEMs, as they are known in Portuguese, she has become just that. Police are investigating her, and are considering bringing formal charges. Amnesty International has taken up her case." (07/19/06)

The bloody wave of rebellions in Braziliano prisons has entered the phase of "blame the guilty," apparently.

North Korea Launches Wartime Alert
Space War Daily
North Korea has launched a wartime alert, putting its armed forces and nationals in a state of a war mobilization, an unconfirmed news report said here Wednesday.

Gee, just what we need - these nuts have all those toys, and they're not afraid to use them!

Opponent of Forced Abortions Faces Trial in China
CNS News
China is preparing to put on trial this week a blind activist who helped to draw attention to forced sterilization of Chinese parents and the abortions of babies conceived in violation of the official "one-child" policy...

Speaking of blaming the innocent - but sadly, western governments do this, too. He rocked the boat.

Taiwan Holds Live War-Game That Simulates A Chinese Invasion
Space War Daily
Taiwan held its largest live-fire military exercise in years on Thursday, testing fighter jets, US-made Patriot missiles and ground troops against a simulated invasion by arch foe China.

They are serious, because the situation is getting serious. The Chinese (Mainland or Red, that is) figure that there will come a time when the US is too distracted by its messes in Iraq, Israel, Iran, North Korea, and at home, to come to Taiwan's rescue. And when that happens, Taiwan will have to defend itself against the Juggernaut, perhaps without even the help of Korea or the Philippines.

Former Khmer Rouge commander Ta Mok dies
MSNBC
"TA Mok, known as 'The Butcher' for his brutality as military chief of the communist Khmer Rouge, died Friday in the Cambodian capital. He was believed to be 80. TA Mok, who was born in 1926, according to available records, was suffering from high blood pressure, tuberculosis and respiratory complications. He was being treated at a military hospital, where he had lapsed into a coma, and died, Benson Samay, his lawyer, said. He had been in government custody since 1999." (07/20/06)

Thus die too many butchers and thugs and tyrants - in a comfortable bed with lots of medical care around them: unlike their victims who die in muddy roadside ditches in screaming agony, or in prisons or in burning buildings or dozens of other agony-filled ways, cutting their life far shorter than the 80 years this thug wasted. But, at least, now comes the Judgment.

One final item of news this week, that doesn't really fit elsewhere.

Mickey Spillane, 1918-2006
North County Times
"Mickey Spillane considered himself a 'writer' as opposed to an 'author,' defining a writer as someone whose books sell. 'This is an income-generating job,' he told The Associated Press during a 2001 interview. 'Fame was never anything to me unless it afforded me a good livelihood.' The macho mystery writer, who wowed millions of readers with the shoot-'em-up sex and violence of gumshoe Mike Hammer, died Monday at 88." (07/18/06)

Like Louis L'Amour, his work was looked down on by hundreds of critics and professors - and sold untold millions of copies. We'll miss him, too - even those of us who don't like his particular genre.