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Libertarian
War on the News, 08 - 14 June, 2008
Home
front:
FBI report: Crime drops after two
years of rises
Raw Story
“After rising for two years straight, both violent crime and property
crime in the United States dropped significantly in 2007, according to
preliminary figures released by the Federal Bureau of Organization Monday.
Violent crimes fell 1.4 percent last year compared to 2006, with drops
in each of the four sub-categories: rapes fell 4.3 percent, murder 2.7
percent, and robbery and assault both declined 1.2 percent. Property crimes,
the second main category of crime overall, dropped 2.1 percent last year,
the FBI said.” [Editor’s note: One can only speculate on
how much sooner (and farther) this “rate” would have dropped
… without the War on (Some) Drugs fueling property and violent crime
as it has for the past 40+ years - SAT] (06/09/08)
Gee, listening
to the hoploclasts, you surely don’t get an idea that this is happening,
do you? But even when crime was CLIMBING overall in the nation in the
past two years, as we’ve pointed out for that same period –
it is only in the large, crime-ridden (and cop-ridden) urban areas that
the crime rate rose: in the rest of the country, it has continued to drop.
Mama's
Note: It also depends on what is called "crime." Even "violent
crime" is not defined correctly much of the time.
Home front:
Bush: Federal contractors must confirm
immigration status of employees
USA Today
“Federal contractors will have to confirm their employees are
legal residents of the USA under an amendment to executive order No. 12989
that President Bush signed Friday and the White House announced this morning:
This order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government
procurement. Stability and dependability are important elements of economy
and efficiency.” (06/09/08)
The bizarre
thing is that this requirement has not been on the books all this time
– although I wonder if it HAD been on the books when Bush took office,
and was removed without significant notice.
Home front:
TX: Arson probe in governor’s
mansion fire
Boston Herald
“Arson is suspected in the fire that struck the historic Texas
Governor’s Mansion early yesterday, causing damage that state officials
and the fire marshal described as ‘bordering on catastrophic.’
No one was inside the 152-year-old mansion at the time, said Robert Black,
a spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry. The mansion had been undergoing a $10
million renovation, and Perry and his wife, Anita, had moved out last
fall. … State officials said they hoped the Greek Revival-style mansion
had not been destroyed, but the damage clearly was extensive.” (06/09/08)
It was
a beautiful building, and a reminder of a time when government was at
least under SOME control. Exactly what motive there would be for arson
is unclear to me – but then, firebugs don’t always need a motive.
Home front:
UK MPs: Identity cards “could
be used to spy on people”
Telegraph [UK]
“Britain is in danger of becoming a ’surveillance society’
and new safeguards are needed to protect people’s privacy, an influential
committee of MPs has warned. Fears are growing that the compulsory ID
card scheme may be used to carry out surveillance on people and that a
new children’s database may be used to identify likely future criminals.
The Home Affairs Select Committee is calling on ministers to introduce
new safeguards to minimise the amount of information collected and stored
on Britain’s citizens following a series of data scandals.”
(06/08/08)
To me,
the UK is ALREADY a surveillance society, but keep in mind, these are
MPs – they put straws in their nostrils so that they can keep their
heads buried in the sand longer. And the scandals have demonstrated that
there is NO protection for your (and my) data in government hands. The
only safeguard that will work would be to make it a felony for a government
worker or agency to collect ANY information about a private person or
business.
Home front:
Citizenship no guarantee spouse can
follow to US
Boston Globe
“On a proud December day, Nancy Hanna raised her right hand in
the John F. Kennedy Library in Dorchester and took the oath of US citizenship.
Then she rushed home to call her congressman: She told him she wanted
her husband back. Hanna believed that becoming a US citizen would open
the door for her husband, Ekram, a native of Egypt like her, to join her
in this country. But that was more than two years ago. Now, instead of
living with her husband, she is a single mother learning a hard lesson
increasingly confronting US citizens and their immigrant spouses: Marriage
is no guarantee of legal residency.” (06/10/08)
I believe
that it is safe to say that today, government ruins the lives of all it
touches, especially people who are as naïve as Mrs. Hanna was, two
years ago.
Home front:
IA:
Twister hits Boy Scout camp, killing four
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A spokeswoman for Iowa Homeland Security said at least four people
were killed and 40 injured when a tornado struck a western Iowa Boy Scout
camp Wednesday evening. … 93 campers and 25 staff members were at
the camp. The campers, between 13 and 18 years old, were attending a leadership
training camp.” (06/12/08)
A sad incident:
most interesting is that all of the deaths were in dorms and not in the
tents. Although there was not adequate warning, at least they had a lot
of people trained to treat the injured.
Mama's
Note: See "The
Triangle of Life." Those who were killed got UNDER heavy furniture
and walls, which has proven to be a death trap. Stop using "duck
and cover."
In
the 1950s, a civil defense strategy known as “duck and cover”
was developed to help citizens deal with the risk of air raids and nuclear
blasts. Under the “duck and cover” strategy, a classroom full
of students was advised to hide underneath their desks in the event
of an attack, and this strategy was widely publicized in well-known
films produced by Madison Avenue advertising firms . It
continues in use today.
Home front:
UK: Libertarian
Alliance gives Davis “unconditional support”
Libertarian Alliance [UK]
“The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties
policy institute, today gives its unconditional support to David Davis,
The Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, who has resigned to fight
a by-election on the issue of the 42-day detention law. Though much more
radical than he is on issues of civil liberty, the Libertarian Alliance
hails Mr. Davis as a brave and decent man. … Libertarian Alliance
Director, Dr, Sean Gabb, says: ‘The Libertarian Alliance is a non-party
organisation. That is, we find much to oppose in all the main political
parties. On this occasion, however, we give our unconditional support
to Mr. Davis as an individual candidate in his fight for our liberties.’”
(06/12/08)
Strange
how this is viewed as a great conversion, but some of the same people
consider Bob Barr and Wayne Root to be leopards incapable of changing
their spots. I greet it with the same delight as I greeted the abandonment
of the GOP by Barr and Root: joy at the conversion and an opportunity
to bring them from the minarchist to the true anarchist position.
Home front:
RIAA steps up “anti-piracy”
efforts
eSchool News
“The battle between colleges and the music industry over illegal
file sharing by students is heating up yet again: Not content to lobby
Congress for federal rules discouraging such activity, the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) has turned its sights on state legislatures.
In its latest effort to quash online piracy, the RIAA has developed a
coordinated campaign to get states to pass legislation that would require
state colleges and universities to take measures cracking down on illegal
file sharing.” (06/12/08)
Sadly,
too many state legis-gators will glom on to this as another way to make
their name and further their power.
Nazgul:
NY: Court upholds judge’s removal
for jailing 46
Sun Sentinel
“New York’s top court has upheld the removal of a Niagara
Falls city court judge who jailed 46 people after no one would own up
to a cell phone that rang in court. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct
concluded in a November decision that Judge Robert Restaino ’snapped’
during the March 2005 session. It voted 9-1 for his removal. Restaino
was hearing domestic violence cases when the phone rang. He released everyone
later that day.” (06/06/08)
Insanity
seems to be a prerequisite for so-called “family” court judges.
Who was the idiot who voted NOT to remove him?
Nazgul:
US Supreme Court to review tobacco
case a third time
United Press International
“The U.S. Supreme Court Monday agreed for the third time to take
a look at a huge punitive award against Philip Morris USA over the death
of a smoker. The $79.5 million in punitive damages has swollen to about
$145 million, including interest, because the case has been bouncing around
in state and federal courts, SCOTUSblog.com reported. … Philip Morris
argues that the state high court defied the U.S. Supreme Court’s
last ruling, which threw out state court verdicts in favor of the plaintiff
in 2003 and sent the case back down for reconsideration at the state level.”
The nanny-state
rulers (including the courts) just do not want to give up on things like
this, do they?
Nazgul:
NE: Trial judge
bans the word “rape”
Kansas City Star
“It’s the only way Tory Bowen knows to honestly describe
what happened to her. She was raped. But a judge prohibited her from uttering
the word ‘rape’ in front of a jury. The term ’sexual assault’
also was taboo, and Bowen could not refer to herself as a victim or use
the word ‘assailant’ to describe the man who allegedly raped
her. The defendant’s presumption of innocence and right to a fair
trial trumps Bowen’s right of free speech, said the Lincoln, Neb.,
judge who issued the order. ‘It shouldn’t be up to a judge to
tell me whether or not I was raped,’ Bowen said. ‘I should be
able to tell the jury in my own words what happened to me.’ Bowen’s
case is part of what some prosecutors and victim advocates see as a national
trend in sexual assault cases.” [Editor’s note: A trend
indeed — Judges have been denying tax rebels, medical marijuana patients
and others these rights for years - SAT] (06/08/08)
Injustice
and the plague of wicked judges (to use a biblical term) both continue
to grow until such time as the entire system is so corrupt that it must
be wiped out completely. Are we nearing that time? This is not California
– this is Nebraska!
Nazgul:
PA: US court
orders deportation of former Nazi guard
Fox News
“A retired steelworker who served as a Nazi guard should be deported
even though the United States granted him a visa in 1956, a federal appeals
court ruled Tuesday. Anton Geiser’s work as a guard meets the type
of persecutory conduct banned under the Refugee Relief Act, which was
in effect when he entered the U.S., the ruling said. Geiser, 83, did not
cite his Nazi ties on his visa application, but he is not accused of lying
about them. Files from the period have been lost and it is not clear what
questions he was asked. … But the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court, which focused
on the language of the Refugee Relief Act, said Geiser should have his
U.S. citizenship revoked and be deported.” (06/10/08)
Remember
when we used to have a statute of limitations in this country? Remember
when we used to judge people by their whole lives, and not by stupid acts
committed as a youth? This man was born in 1925: he was still 20 (maybe
19) when the National Socialist regime in Germany fell in 1945. Today,
“children’s activists” routinely seek to get felonies struck
from the records of so-called “children” who are under 21, but
we must punish this man for something he did 63 years ago, and ignore
whatever he did as a worker, citizen, and neighbor for the last 52 years.
And we call the Nazis evil.
Nazgul:
SCOTUS:
Child-abuse claims vs. parents’ rights
Christian Science Monitor
“The US Supreme Court is being asked to determine whether procedures
used in Illinois to investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect
violate the fundamental rights of parents. The case arises at a legal
crossroads between the government’s interest in moving quickly to
safeguard children from abuse or neglect and the right of parents to raise
and maintain a family without undue government interference. The high
court is scheduled to consider whether to take up the case, Dupuy v. McEwen,
at its private conference Thursday. An order agreeing or refusing to hear
the appeal could come as early as Monday.” (06/12/08)
Sadly,
virtually every state in the Union has become a police state as far as
parents are concerned – unless you are in one of the “enlightened”
states and are a homosexual couple – where you then appear to get
a pass from this kind of petty tyranny.
Nazgul:
CA: Obscenity trial suspended over
judge’s web site
Longmont Daily Times-Call
“A federal judge has suspended the obscenity trial of a Los Angeles
porn distributor following a newspaper report that the judge had sexually
explicit material on his own Web site. Judge Alex Kozinski on Wednesday
granted a joint motion to suspend the trial after the prosecution said
it needed time to look into the issue of the judge’s Web site.”
(06/11/08)
He has
asked for a whitewash panel – excuse me, a judicial review tribunal
– to determine if he is going to judge the case properly; it should
be a grand jury.
Nazgul:
Court: Gitmo detainees
have rights
Wire Dispatch
“In a stinging rebuke to President Bush’s anti-terror policies,
a deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign detainees held
for years at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba have the right to appeal to U.S. civilian
courts to challenge their indefinite imprisonment without charges. …
At its heart, the 70-page ruling says that the detainees have the same
rights as anyone else in custody in the United States to contest their
detention before a judge. Kennedy also said the system the administration
has put in place to classify detainees as enemy combatants and review
those decisions is not an adequate substitute for the right to go before
a civilian judge.” (06/12/08)
I have
been astonished at the vitriol directed at the Supremes on this case,
which seems to me to be a basic no-brainer. If the Constitution does not
recognize basic human rights which ALL humans have, then indeed, our “rights”
are nothing more than privileges given to us by government (and therefore
to be taken away at their convenience) and NOT “rights endowed by
the Creator.”
New religions:
environists:
Groups to sue over oil impacts on
polar bears
Reuters
“Two environmental groups filed notice on Monday that they plan
to sue the federal government for not imposing new regulations on oil
development in Alaska’s Arctic waters as part of offering protective
status to polar bears. Last month, polar bears were listed as threatened,
a protective status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, but Interior
Secretary Dirk Kempthorne also enacted a rule precluding oil operators
from any new impediments other than those already required by Marine Mammal
Protection Act. The Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Environment
said the Interior Department is violating the Endangered Species Act by
giving oil companies exploring the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas a pass from
additional regulation.” (06/09/08)
As usual,
the ESA is nothing but an excuse to “force” the bureaucrats
to impose more regulation on business and daily life. Which is why it
was so incredibly stupid of Interior to even list polar bears, such minor
things as bad science aside.
North American
union:
AZ: Sanctions law ruling will ripple
across US
Arizona Republic
“Arizona’s employer-sanctions law was among the first in
the nation to go on the books, sending the state into a new world of employee
screening, absent workers and anxious waiting for prosecutions. Now, a
year after it was signed into law, the measure has survived a challenge
in federal court and is the first in the nation to get an airing before
a federal appeals court. On Thursday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
hears the case, which is being pressed by business groups, civil-rights
groups and Latino organizations. The law allows the state to suspend or
revoke the business license of employers found to have knowingly hired
illegal workers. The case is being closely watched by lawmakers, attorneys,
employers and immigration activists of all stripes. And not just in Arizona.”
(06/08/08)
With the
9th Circuit, there is no telling what they will decide.
North American
union:
AZ: Fun-park raids may test state
hiring law
Arizona Republic
“Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies seized hundreds of employee
records from the parent company of three Valley summer-fun spots on Tuesday
as part of a sweeping ID-theft investigation that may lead to the first
use of a new state law to prosecute employers who knowingly hire undocumented
immigrants. Nine workers associated with Golfland Entertainment Centers,
which operates Waterworld, Golfland and Big Surf, were arrested in an
investigation that stems from a tip the Sheriff’s Office received
in February. But any potential penalty for Golfland Entertainment Centers
through a civil violation of the state’s employer-sanctions law is
likely a ways off, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said.”
(06/11/08)
This is
definitely a situation to watch.
Political
scientists:
Senate investigators criticize two
Harvard researchers
Boston Globe
“A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped
fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children
earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from
2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university
officials, according to information given congressional investigators.
By failing to report income, the psychiatrist, Dr, Joseph Biederman, and
a colleague in the psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School, Dr,
Timothy E. Wilens, may have violated federal and university research rules
designed to police potential conflicts of interest, according to Senator
Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. Some of their research is financed
by government grants.” (06/08/08)
They knew
how to work the system, it seems. And the system is so incredibly badly-managed
that they got away with it for a long time.
Politics:
MN: Democrats endorse Franken in Senate
race
Bloomberg
“Minnesota Democrats formally endorsed comedian and author Al
Franken’s bid to run against Republican U.S. Senator Norm Coleman
in November, even as some party members questioned his ability to win
the seat. Delegates to a convention of the state’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor
Party selected Franken over college professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He
was endorsed by unanimous consent after his opponent acknowledged balloting
showed Franken moving past the 60 percent majority he needed among convention
delegates. … In remarks to delegates, Franken tried to address concerns
about a column he wrote for Playboy magazine eight years ago, apologizing
to those offended by the bawdy article. He has also been dogged by recent
disclosures of tax troubles that resulted in him paying $70,000 in back
income taxes and penalties to 17 states. Franken still may face a challenge
in the state’s Democratic senatorial primary race on Sept. 9. The
filing deadline for that contest is July 15.” (06/07/08)
They are
ALL a bunch of comedians, in my opinion – bad ones, admittedly.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
UT: Gun owners embrace “open
carry”
Los Angeles Times
“For years, Kevin Jensen carried a pistol everywhere he went,
tucked in a shoulder holster beneath his clothes. In hot weather the holster
was almost unbearable. Pressed against Jensen’s skin, the firearm
was heavy and uncomfortable. Hiding the weapon made him feel like a criminal.
Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do
something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the world to see as
you go about your business. In most states there’s no law against
that.” (06/07/08)
Actually,
a pretty good article that is close to being balanced, even though it
touts the “wild West” image too much. And vastly underestimates
the number of people who openly carry.
Mama's
Note: It was OK, but skewed in some things. For one, there is no rational
reason to feel "like a criminal" if you conceal your firearm!
There are certain places and times when that is truly most appropriate.
For another, Utah law requires a "permit" to carry either concealed
or openly, and you are therefore subject to being stopped and harassed
by police wherever you go open carrying. Far better to be armed and inconspicuous
instead of constantly forced to "prove" that you have the permit.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
NC: Homeowner hits home invader with
shotgun blast
Gaston Gazette
“A Lincoln County man picked up his shotgun and fired twice when
he saw a flashlight beam shining under the bedroom door and then heard
someone grabbing the door handle, according to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s
Office release. … At least one person was hit and officers followed
a blood trail out of the residence, down the driveway and a short distance
south on Catawba Burris Road, according to the release. … The homeowners
told Lincoln County investigators they were awakened by the sound of breaking
glass around 2:50 a.m.” (06/09/08)
I admit
he had a right to defend himself, and I am glad he did, but shooting through
a closed door is not exactly a smart thing to do.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
CA:
Gun, ammo bills go to Senate
Redding News
“In the future, you may have to leave a copy of your driver’s
license if you want to buy .22-caliber rounds from your local big-box
store. The California Assembly further reinforced the state’s reputation
as having the most stringent gun laws in the nation by passing two bills
late last month that would put more restrictions on buying and selling
handguns and handgun ammunition. Both bills must now win state Senate
approval. One bill … would require any new handgun sold in the state
to have a device installed that prohibits anyone other than the owner
from pulling the trigger. … The technology for such devices isn’t
yet available for sale and the bill wouldn’t take effect until after
it is, according to the legislation.” (06/06/08)
This is
an example of how California is further divorcing itself from the rest
of the nation. This sort of thing serves no purpose except to harass gunowners
and set the stage for further totalitarian enactments.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
NM:
Homeowner fires shot, burglar flees
Gallup Independent
“Police are searching for a man who tried to steal $20,000 worth
of natural gas equipment during a residential burglary in Mentmore early
this morning. Deputy Police Chief John Allen, a spokesman for the Gallup
Police Department, said someone broke into a garage of a residence on
the 3400 Block of Blue Hill Avenue at about 5 a.m. The homeowner noticed
his van that contained the valuable equipment had been stolen from the
driveway. He then found the burglar inside the garage trying to steal
additional equipment. Allen said the homeowner fired a shot from a handgun
over the thief’s head and demanded he remain inside the garage until
police arrive, but the man fled on foot and has not been arrested.”
(06/07/08)
He would
have had every right to shoot to kill, at 5 AM (it is still dark in Gallup
at that time of day this time of year), but he chose not to – and
so his van is still missing.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
MN: Son comes to parents’
rescue
KEYC News
“Two people are assaulted in their home, and the intruder suffers
a gunshot wound. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office says it happened
last night just before midnight. They say an intruder apparently entered
the home of Elmer and Marcella Sauck at 2488 200th Street in rural Martin
County. Mrs. Sauck was physically assaulted, was able to escape and go
to the nearby home of her son, Mark. Mark then went to his parents’
house and found his father being assaulted by the intruder. Authorities
say Mark then ordered the intruder to stop several times as he approached
him, but he didn’t. The intruder suffered a gunshot wound to the
leg and was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital. Mrs. Sauck was also
airlifted to Rochester, and Elmer Sauck was transported to Immanuel St.
Joseph’s Hospital. Authorities say they’re not releasing the
intruder’s identity because no criminal charges have been filed in
the case.” (06/11/08)
No criminal
charges? The thug broke in and started beating on this older couple, and
he’s in the hospital?
Mama's
Note: I'd say that Mark - and his parents - need to get some good self
defense training as soon as possible! The parents need their own self
defense tools, for sure.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
MD:
Dry cleaner owner shoots robber
WJZ News
“Baltimore City Police say a dry cleaner shot a would-be robber
Wednesday afternoon. It happened at St. Paul Cleaners around 1:45 p.m.
Police say this is the second time the suspect had attempted to rob the
place. Police say the suspect was armed with a knife when he came into
the shop. The store owner shot the suspect in the hip, arm and leg. He
was transported to Shock Trauma where he is expected to survive his injuries.”
(06/11/08)
You don’t
think of a dry-cleaner as being a likely target of armed robbery, do you?
I don’t know if the reason the owner was armed was the first break-in
attempt, but you wonder about the sanity of the shot-up thug.
Mama's
Note: I suspect that a robber would think a dry cleaner shop a good target
because they do collect money, and the chances of an armed clerk in Maryland
would probably be low. The robber gets the Darwin nomination for taking
a knife to a gunfight, of course, not to mention trying the same place
twice.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
FL: Woman protects
daughter
NBC 6 News
“A woman said she used a gun to scare away a man who was trying
to lure her teenage daughter into a truck. The mother, who did not wish
to be identified, said the man approached her 16-year-old daughter on
Alhambra Circle near their home. ‘She was walking her dog in the
median right out in front of our house here, and a man approached her
in a truck and tried to get her to come to the truck,’ the woman
said. The teenager ran to nearby Coral Gables Elementary School, calling
her mother and 911. The mother confronted the man and showed him her 9-mm
gun. ‘It’s not until I showed him that I was armed and that
I meant business to protect my daughter that he backed off,’ she
said.” (06/10/08)
Unfortunately,
there is clearly a lot missing here. The man supposedly trying to lure
the daughter away appears to have mental problems, and perhaps the girl
has some developmental problems. However, we can see two things: first,
calling 911 did no good, if the mother was able to respond more quickly
than the cops to a situation like this. And second, the lie is given to
the claim that guns are good only for killing people: no shots were fired
but a rescue was carried out.
Right to
keep and bear arms:
AZ:
Guns on campus bill fails in Senate
Arizona State University Web Devil
“The bill that would allow students, professors and administrators
to carry guns on Arizona college campuses won’t have a chance to
make it into law this session. Crafted in response to mass shootings like
at Virginia Tech last year, Senate Bill 1214 would have allowed people
ages 21 and older with concealed weapons permits to bring handguns on
college and university campuses. Senate President Tim Bee, R-Tucson, blocked
the bill from a full-chamber vote, saying it didn’t have enough support,
according to the Associated Press. The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen.
Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said she believes lawmakers pressured Bee into
killing the controversial bill, the AP reported.” (06/09/08)
Too bad.
It will take a lot of work to get this bill through. IF we had some way
to enforce the Bill of Rights, this wouldn’t even be needed, of course.
Let’s see: “The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,
except on college campuses, in courthouses, in schools, and a list of
places to be determined at the whim of 51% of the legislators each elected
by 51% of a popular but rigged vote…”
Right to
keep and bear arms:
Australia: NSW government “aiding
push to ease gun laws”
Australian Broadcasting Company
“The Greens have accused the New South Wales Government of courting
the Shooters Party to help ease the passage of controversial legislation
to ease the state’s gun controls. The Bill, introduced to the Upper
House by Shooters Party MP Roy Smith, would relax some safeguards and
remove the 28-day waiting period for people with a registration waiting
for a second gun. … The legislation would also remove the need to
register guns made before the 1900s and allow more people to apply for
a self-loading or pump-action shotgun to use in clay target shooting competitions.”
(06/11/08)
Oh, dear,
the Greens have revealed themselves as nothing more than hoplophobes and
hoploclasts.
Russian
front:
Russia: Putin pledges
funds for conventional weapons
Wiredispatch.com
“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday promised the
military sufficient funds to maintain battle readiness with its conventional
weapons purchases. Putin met with government ministers, including deputies
Igor Sechin and Sergey Ivanov, and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin to discuss
military defense budget indicators for 2009-11. … The comments came
one day after the U.S. defense secretary said maintaining America’s
nuclear arsenal was increasingly important as Russia seemed more focused
on strengthening its own nuclear capabilities.” [Editor’s
note: Interesting how articles on Russia’s military might usually
fail to mention that Russia’s total “defense” budget is
something like 1/20th the size of the US’s - TLK] (06/11/08)
The point
to this article isn’t anything about an increase in budget (although
Tom needs to remember that Russia continues the Soviet practice of hiding
even more military spending off-line than the US has ever dreamed of),
but about Putin acting more like he is still president than prime minister
AND how he is consolidating and extending his power in the Russian government.
Science
and business:
AZ: ASU plans big rooftop solar grid
Arizona Republic
“More than 20 percent of the energy needs of Arizona State University’s
main campus eventually could be met by one of the largest rooftop solar-power
plants in the United States. ASU planned to announce an agreement today
under which three companies will install, at their expense, solar electricity-generating
equipment on up to 330,000 square feet of rooftop space at its main campus
in Tempe. Jonathan Fink, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability
at ASU, said that the university will pay the companies a fixed rate that
is slightly lower than what it is now paying for power from Arizona Public
Service Co. If APS raises its rates, the savings will become greater,
Fink said. Besides saving the university money, the solar-generating system
will provide an important teaching and research tool, he said.”
(06/10/08)
It does
sound like a good deal for everyone, including APS; one that hopefully
will be followed in other locations. Solar is NOT a replacement for nuclear,
nor for more concentrated forms of fuel for power like coal, but it can
be a PART of the solution for expansion of the economy. And even environists
should like this deal.
Silly kid
tricks:
Poland:
Boy, 3, tries to board plane alone
Ananova [UK]
“An adventurous Polish toddler was found trying to check in for
a flight after making a 15-mile journey to an airport on his own. Three
year old Mikolaj Sobolewski unlocked the front door of his parents’
home and got onto a bus from a stop outside their house to take him to
Okecie airport in Warsaw. He was only grounded when police spotted him
in the departure lounge. A police spokesman said: “He told us that
his mother worked near the airport and that he had always wanted to fly
in one of the planes he had seen from her office.” [Editor’s
note: The ultimate Free Range Kid-MLS](06/11/08)
If the
world were as evil a place as so many statists make it out to be, this
boy would have been a statistic, not a story. Fortunately, people don’t
need government rules to care for children or others. I just hope that
the people treated him well enough that he isn’t going to lose his
sense of adventure in the future.
Mama's
Note: My BS alarm is going crazy on this story. A three year old wouldn't
make up a story like that. How did he pay for the bus ride? How did he
know the bus was going to the airport? I don't buy this one.
South Asian
front:
Pakistan:
“Musharraf may resign within a week”
The Media Line
“A leading academic at the University of Karachi has said Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf may resign within a week as a result of severe
pressure placed on him, and his lack of support in both the army and the
political arena. Dr, Mutahir Ahmad of the International Relations Department
at the University of Karachi explained that a series of setbacks, beginning
early last year, have left Musharraf totally isolated and stripped of
his powers. … last Monday the official spokesman of the ruling Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP), Farhatullah Babar, said Musharraf should stand
trial for treason for breaching several clauses in the constitution. Other
PPP officials also called for an impeachment process against the president
to begin as soon as possible. Musharraf has lost all loyalty of the army,
which used to be his strongest base of support, and which he had led until
last November.” (06/11/08)
If the
Army can’t count on him to keep Pakistan intact, obviously he will
be replaced. And once the Army has removed its sponsorship, he is the
perfect target for everyone else.
South Asian
front:
US strikes undercut efforts on Pakistani
border
Vallejo Times Herald
“Whoever was to blame, the U.S. airstrikes that may have killed
friendly fighters in Pakistan have inflamed relations between the countries
and could undermine the struggle to stem violence along the Afghan border.
The bombings fueled anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan and raised fresh questions
about cooperative efforts against suspected terrorists in the lawless
region. This is the area, American military leaders believe, that could
spawn a major attack against the United States.” (06/12/08)
Pakistan,
whatever its protestations and acting, is NOT an ally of the US: it is
concerned about maintaining and strengthening its position in the Ummah
(the Muslim World). It is trying to play both sides, for now, but it is
fundamentally anti-American.
Space:
Mars lander scientists to try last
soil shake
Baytown Sun
“Scientists troubleshooting the Phoenix lander said Monday they
will try one last shake to get a scoopful of Martian dirt inside a tiny
oven in hopes of jump-starting their study of Mars’ north pole region.
Phoenix’s first science experiment to heat the permafrost soil was
delayed after it was discovered that virtually none of it passed through
a screen to reach a miniature oven, one of eight aboard the spacecraft
that will heat soil and sniff the resulting vapors for signs of life-friendly
elements.” (06/09/08)
Gee, I
don’t suppose they (the NASA engineers) bothered to talk to anyone
who moves dirt for a living, did they? We’ve had shaker screens for,
oh, 70 or 80 years, I think?
Stupid
cop tricks:
IL: Chicago PD to start crosswalk
stings next week
Chicago Tribune
“Beginning next week, Chicago cops will take on a most dangerous
undercover role, posing as pedestrians in the city’s traffic-choked
streets. In an effort to improve safety and promote walking with gas prices
surging past $4 a gallon, police officers dressed as civilians will step
into crosswalks at two busy Northwest Side intersections as cars approach.
Drivers who don’t give the right of way to these pedestrians will
be issued warning citations. Real tickets will follow as the campaign
is expanded to other locations, including the downtown, officials said.”
(06/07/08)
Gee, you
don’t think that they have enough of this going on withOUT the sting?
Even Chicago has a lot of stupid people who don’t watch what they
are doing…
Stupid
cop tricks:
Germany: Armed
police raid rap video shoot
Ananova [UK]
“An armed police SWAT squad who raced to a shoot-out between armed
drugs dealers found gangsta rappers making a music video instead. Worried
residents in Dortmund, Germany, called police when they thought they saw
a cocaine dealers’ gunfight going on outside their homes. But red-faced
police found nine men aged between 22 and 36 with fake pistols. The ‘cocaine’
was sugar and flour in transparent plastic bags.” (06/06/08)
Even the
cops want to believe the worst – and respond in like manner, instead
of checking out panicked reports.
Stupid
cop tricks:
Parents of truant kids hauled to court
San Francisco Examiner
“Six parents of chronically truant San Francisco schoolchildren
— each of whom missed more than 50 days of class — were arraigned
Tuesday before a superior court judge on infractions that charged the
guardians with failing to make sure their kids receive an education. The
infractions, pursued by District Attorney Kamala Harris, carry a $100
fine. If the truancy continues, the next step would be misdemeanor charges
of neglecting a child’s education, charges that could land a parent
in county jail for up to a year with a fine up to $2,500, Harris said
Tuesday.” (06/11/08)
Right:
putting the parent in jail is really going to make sure that they are
there to help their child grow up and get an education.
Stupid
government tricks:
Auditor blames FBI’s “antiquated”
systems for immigration backlog
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“The FBI uses old technology and workers without enough training
to do security checks on people applying for citizenship and other immigration
benefits, a government audit found. The problems have led to large backlogs
in name checks and are affecting people wanting to naturalize, become
legal residents or bringing in foreign workers for businesses, said the
audit issued Monday by the Justice Department’s inspector general
Glenn Fine.” (06/10/08)
In other
words, unless this problem is cleaned up, the process of “vetting”
people for immigration is pretty much worthless. So why are we wasting
the time and money doing this?
Mama's
Note: Same reason the TSA molests everyone in an airport. It isn't about
law or safety or anything but control. Oh, and bureaucrat job security...
Stupid
people tricks:
TN: Teachers must change churches
or leave Christian school
Tennessean
“A teacher at a Christian school in Columbia says she is retiring
after the board told her and four others to switch churches or leave.
The action from the leadership at the Church of Christ-affiliated Columbia
Academy came after Maury Hills Church, which the five attend, allowed
musical instruments during a Good Friday service. Sandra McCarthy, who
has taught kindergarten at the school for 27 years, said she has decided
to retire; but she said the board did offer a compromise, which two other
teachers accepted. They will be allowed to stay at Maury Hills Church
as long as they agree not to attend the two or three services a year where
musical instruments are played. She said the other two teachers given
the ultimatum are leaving for other jobs.” (06/09/08)
I am very
glad to see a school take a stand like this, and refuse to water down
their religion for fear of hurting the feelings of some people. This particular
school is supported by members of churches of Christ; this is a fellowship
of churches who believe that instrumental music in worship is unscriptural.
For this Maury Hills Church to begin using instrumental music in their
worship is effectively breaking the ties of fellowship – for the
school to allow these teachers to continue to teach would be the same
as allowing a teacher to be a member of a Baptist or Catholic church –
which is not why the people send their children to this school. (By the
way, virtually no Church of Christ observes “Good Friday” or
any of the so-called “religious holidays” for exactly the same
reason as they do not use instruments for worship – these observances
are not authorized in the Bible and are therefore additions made by men.)
If more schools affiliated with various religious groups would practice
what they preach, we’d not have such wonderful examples of formerly-religious
schools like Harvard and Yale and Texas “Christian” University
teaching the kind of radical liberalism and statism that they do teach
today.
Stupid
people tricks:
Ex-Army officer admits taking bribes
for Iraq contracts
CNN
“A retired U.S. Army colonel pleaded guilty Tuesday to awarding
contracts in Iraq to a Kuwait-based firm in exchange for gifts. Levonda
Selph of Virginia admitted accepting $4,000 in cash and a $5,000 vacation
to Thailand from the unidentified contractor, which was awarded $12 million
in contracts to operate Defense Department warehouses in Iraq.” (06/10/08)
He needs
to be punished, not by the amount of money he accepted, but by the amount
of money he cost the taxpayers: how much more was paid than should have
been, or how much less was done than should have been done for the contract.
Stupid
people tricks:
Protests punctuate McCain speech
Wall Street Journal
“Three protesters interrupted John McCain’s speech to the
National Federation of Independent Business on three occasions Tuesday
morning to protest the war in Iraq. The first protester stood up and started
yelling shortly after the expected Republican nominee took the podium.
‘War is bad for small business! War is bad for small business!’
the woman yelled from the left end of the ballroom. As security hauled
the protester out of the room, she shouted, ‘Imagine the investment
in small business!’ … A few minutes later, another woman in
the same area of the ballroom stood up and shouted a similar sentiment.
McCain attempted to continue with his prepared remarks. … The third
protester, an elderly woman, rose a few minutes later and received a chorus
of boos from the audience. She, too, was escorted out of the room by security.
‘I’m running out of funny lines,’ McCain mused. He finished
his speech with no further interruptions. As the motorcade carrying McCain
pulled away, members of the antiwar group CODEPINK stormed the press bus
with their banners.” (06/10/08)
I applaud
their courage, even as I deplore their belief that their actions can have
any real effect. The truth is, all too much and at least in the short
term, war is GOOD for small business with the kind of government we have
today. All that money trickles on down, and small businesses from DC to
the front gate of every military installation make money. Yeah, in the
long run, government spending in the red does damage business, but it
doesn’t matter WHY the red ink is there: welfare checks are as bad
as weapons purchases. But the independent businesses at this speech are
a lot more worried about what Obama has promised as far as taxes and regulations
than about the continued occupations of distant countries, so the best
they can hope for is the press that they got. They aren’t winning
any hearts, but they ARE getting a lot of small business owners unnecessarily
angry at them.
Stupid
people tricks:
Southern Baptists won’t create
sexual predator database
Tennessean
“A top leader at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual
meeting urged fellow Baptists to drive sexual predators out of the churches.
Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive
board, told more than 7,200 church representatives meeting here Tuesday
that preventing sexual abuse in the church is the responsibility of local
congregations. … The executive committee announced Tuesday it would
not create a national database of Baptist ministers accused or convicted
of sexual abuse. … Instead of a Baptist-only database, Chapman and
other Southern Baptist leaders argue that churches should use the national
sexual offender database, maintained by the federal government.”
[Editor’s note: This would be the database that fails to distinguish
between teenage lovers (both parties), bogus charges, “exposure”
(public urination, etc.) … and truly predatory, power-driven assaults
on very young children (comprising a very tiny portion of said database),
which is the alleged “threat” being addressed - SAT] (06/11/08)
These people
completely forget about what they are supposed to believe and do: sexual
predators are not to be driven out of the church just because they have
been caught or convicted – apparently the Baptists have stepped even
further away from real Christianity by wiping out a concept called “repentance”
and another one called “forgiveness.” Preventing sexual abuse
IS the local church’s responsibility, but it neither demands nor
is accomplished by throwing out people who have committed such sins in
the past. Unchanged sexual predators are one thing – but remember
Jesus came not for the healthy but for the spiritually sick: the same
people that these want to drive out of their (not God’s) church.
Theft by
government:
NV: Rancher awarded $4.2 million for
“taken” water right
Bend Bulletin
“A judge awarded more than $4.2 million to a late Nevada rancher’s
estate after finding that the U.S. Forest Service engaged in an unconstitutional
‘taking’ of water rights out of hostility to the rancher, a
property rights activist. The decision by U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Judge Loren A. Smith involved the Fifth Amendment clause against private
property being taken for public use without just compensation. The rancher,
Wayne Hage, bought the sprawling Pine Creek Ranch in central Nevada in
1978.” (06/10/08)
Too late
for Mr. Hage, of course. Possibly too late for his family and business,
also. Notice that there are no federal employees going to prison for this
theft, no charges of abuse of power, no charges of violation of the Bill
of Rights: just a money settlement, and apparently, 20+ years later, they
get their water back. Some deal.
Theft by
government:
DE: House OKs land theft limits
Wilmington News Journal
“Legislation to restrict the ability of state, county and municipal
governments to exercise their power of eminent domain and take private
property for public use sailed through the House Thursday and is on its
way to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner for her consideration. … Senate Bill
245 requires agencies with condemnation powers to use those powers only
for ‘public use,’ which is defined in the traditional sense:
condemning property for utility lines, highways and the like. Removing
a ‘blighted area’ also is a permissible use of condemnation
powers. The bill specifically prohibits taking privately owned land for
the sole purpose of improving economic conditions in an area — a
provision that the city of Wilmington has complained would hamstring its
ability to continue its Riverfront development efforts.” (06/13/08)
Restriction
is okay, but prohibition is what is needed. The “blighted area”
exemption is one of the most misused excuses for stealing land nationwide.
War on
some drugs:
Afghanistan: 260-ton hashish
bust could be record
MSNBC
“Afghan counternarcotics officials said Wednesday that they uncovered
260 tons of hashish hidden in 6-foot-deep trenches in southern Afghanistan
in what one DEA official said appears to be the world’s biggest drug
bust. The hashish, found in the southern province of Kandahar on Monday,
was worth more than $400 million and would have netted about $14 million
in profits, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said.”
(06/11/08)
Let’s
see: $14 million in profit on $400 million is less than 4% ROI: that is
NOT very good. And that is even WITH government subsidy programs.
War on
some drugs:
CA: Drug thugs find “pot forest”
in Sonoma state park
San Francisco Chronicle
“Narcotics agents destroyed 27,000 marijuana plants that were
found growing at a state park in Sonoma County, authorities said today.
The plants were found in a remote area in the northwest corner of Sugarloaf
Ridge State Park in Kenwood, the Sheriff’s Department said. Agents
from the county Narcotic Task Force, along with the Napa Special Investigation
Bureau, had to be airlifted to the site for Tuesday’s raid because
the terrain was so rough. Two campsites showed signs of hasty departures
— when agents arrived, breakfast was half-eaten. ‘The individuals
also left burning candles on a makeshift altar, and had constructed a
makeshift pit for their garbage,’ said sheriff’s Detective Sgt.
Chris Bertoli.” (06/11/08)
Thugs indeed,
but I do notice that (commons though a state park may be), the cultivators
of these 27,000 plants (who were also squatting on the land, apparently)
were trespassing and violating various other laws regarding disturbance
of parklands. Of course, it is the war on drugs itself that causes them
to resort to trespassing and “homesteading” the park, in order
to make a profit by meeting the demand for pot. One problem with the war
on some drugs is that it creates temptations for people to go out and
commit other, sometimes real, crimes.
World wars:
Military will prepare for change in
leadership, Gates says
USA Today
“Anticipating the first wartime change of presidents in 40 years,
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday he has begun laying the groundwork
to enable his successor to manage the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan —
and other challenges — from his or her first day in office. Gates
said that over the past two decades it has become more difficult and time
consuming to get key officials into Pentagon jobs early in a new administration.”
(06/10/08)
And who
gets left out at the pointy end of the stick…
World wars:
Proposal would bar medically unfit
troops from combat
USA Today
“The U.S. military command that oversees troops fighting in Iraq
and Afghanistan wants to make it harder for combat commanders to send
medically unfit troops to war zones, according to a proposal reviewed
by USA TODAY. The proposal from Central Command would add 16 medical conditions
that would bar troops from deploying for combat duty. It would toughen
a 2 1/2-year-old rule requiring combat commanders to seek a waiver before
sending troops who need medical care to a war zone.” (06/10/08)
As deployment
after deployment drains the force, this is happening more and more often.
Mama's
Note: Gives new meaning to the term "walking wounded." I can't
imagine sending people who need "medical care" to a combat situation.
Are they nuts?
World wars:
UK: Al Qaeda
secret docs left on train
BBC News [UK]
“Police are investigating a ’serious’ security breach
after a civil servant lost top-secret documents containing the latest
intelligence on al-Qaeda. The unnamed Cabinet Office employee apparently
breached strict security rules when he left the papers on the seat of
a train. A fellow passenger spotted the envelope containing the files
and gave it to the BBC, who handed them to the police. The official was
later suspended from his job, the Cabinet Office announced. Home Secretary
Jacqui Smith now faces demands for an official inquiry.” (06/11/08)
Stupid
behavior from the British civil service, which has declined with the rest
of the UK.
See
page two here! More news and excellent commentary.
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