I lied. I haven’t picked up the book I’ve been reading (Stranger in a Strange Land, if you must know) since December 20. Why? Because that’s when I got TiVo. It truly is a great invention but I guess I’ll have to resolve to not let TiVo interfere with my reading.
Ok, Happy New Year. I mean it this time.
Happy New Year to all! See you kids next year.
This post by Bjorn regarding his letter to the Knoxville News Sentinel that was published was discussed by SKB. The comments that ensue lead to a discussion of anonymity at any online forum. Some interesting comments regarding the credibility that assigning a name may lend to an opinion or to writing material.
Of course, even big media has been guilty of not signing editorials at all. I am actually more concerned that both those articles (the former I don’t agree with and the latter I do) don’t have a person to contact who is identifiable (after all, a person is responsible for the article). I don’t care if they go by a real name or not. I just want to be able to shoot them an email and tell them I agree or disagree with them. And people say I am a coward for not putting my name on things! At least you can contact me and refute what I have to say either in comments or via email. Obviously, by that rationale, the editorial staff at the WaPo and the NYT are cowards too. But it doesn’t discredit what they say. What they say discredits what they say (in the case of the WaPo AWB article, anyway).
Yeah, they have a message board but does the editorial staff read it and take it to heart? Doubtful.
Does putting your name on something add to its credibility? Does signing your name imply that you have guts? Is it noble? Are my opinions less valid or important because you don’t know my real identity?
First, if you knew my real identity you wouldn’t care. I’m nobody you’ve ever heard of. I’m just, like, some guy, ya know. Second, why does it matter?
Princess Anne’s bull terrier is in trouble again. It bit two children a while back, attacked the queen’s Corgi, and bit a maid. The princess should have socialized her dogs or had servants do it, I suppose.
Interesting side note: Some American Bulldog purists claim that the American Pit Bull Terrier (aka pit bull) is a cross between an American Bulldog and a Bull Terrier. They claim that the bull terrier was originally bred as a dog fighting dog. However, it lacked gameness (tolerance to pain) and the American Bulldog (then the English Bulldog until it was bred to be the absolute abomination of nature it is today) was added to the bloodline to make it tougher. Some argue that this is why the American Pit Bull Terrier is known for dog aggression.
The American Bulldog is actually descended from the English isles. It was a farm dog used for catching and holding cattle and pigs; and a bating animal until that practice was banned. Some were brought to the New World by immigrants to be farm dogs.
The British began breeding the dog (crossing it with Pugs and other smaller bulldogs) as a pet once the ban on bating and dog fighting made the sports illegal. The result is that horribly disfigured, prone to breathing problems, unable to give live birth, and short-lived little hobbit the British seem to be proud of today.
The English farm dog was thought extinct until some were found in Georgia (actually, the American Bulldog is what the Georgia Bulldog college teams are named after – it irks me to see them parade that little freak around) by John Johnson after returning from WW2. Johnson used the small breeding stock to attempt to save the breed. He bred the dogs with various mastiffs, pit bulls and other dogs with the goal of maintaining the appearance. Johnson bulldogs are large and powerful.
The other type of American Bulldog, the Scott type named after another breeder, is smaller than the Johnson but more athletic. Also known as the Performance American Bulldog, this is the type that I have. They look like very large pit bulls.
There is, of course, major disagreement as to which (Johnson or Scott) dog is (or is more closely similar to) the original bulldog. Depending upon which pictures of the old dogs you see, the case is arguable either way. Regardless, both are fine breeds with great physical ability and unwavering love for their masters.
Also, these bloodlines are in some way shared with Boxers, Mastiffs, Rottweiler, Bull Mastiff, Boston Terriers, American Staffordshire Terrier, and many other breeds of dog.
And yes I’m aware my side note is longer than the original reason for the post. What was I talking about?
The man dubbed the father of the World Wide Web {snip} has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year honours.
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Actually, the guy’s name is Tim Berners-Lee.
Tennessee Republicans want independent audits for government agencies. I think it’s a great idea (full disclosure: I’m an accountant with extensive government auditing experience – ka-ching):
State government needs to be audited annually by independent outsiders and voters should get more say in choosing certain state officials and judges, state House Republican leaders said yesterday.
As a run-up to the Jan. 13 start of the General Assembly, GOP leaders unveiled more initiatives yesterday. It was the fourth in a series of press conferences this month for the minority party.
The proposed legislation calls for a more efficient government and a more accountable legislature, said Rep. Tre Hargett, R-Bartlett, leader of House Republicans.
I find it odd that Clark’s first TV commercial in Tennessee is news in Knoxville yet when the man was actually in town, I had to hear about it from SKB.
Update: Michael Silence emails me a story the KNS did that covered the Clark rally. I apologize, poor wording on my part. What I meant was that I didn’t see any announcement beforehand that Clark would be in Knoxville, except for at SKB’s site. The KNS did cover the rally but I wonder if they announced that the rally was coming. Actually, did any local media announce it? It’s possible they did and I missed it but I do read local media pretty religiously.
Update2: I was completely wrong. Apparently, it was mentioned by Georgiana Vines and on the radio. Must be that media bias. Consider the post rescinded.
This unsigned editorial in the WaPo is rather full of lies and misinformation.
Gun Industry Immunity: You’re wrong. The sniper got the gun by stealing it.
Assault Weapons Ban: Does not ban 19 specific military style assault weapons. It bans certain aesthetic features rifles can have.
Background Checks: I’m indifferent as to whether records should be destroyed after 24 hours of a sale of a gun.
Gun Show Loophole: There is no gun show loophole. There is only the right of citizens to engage in lawful commerce.
It’s probably a good thing that the author refused to sign it.
A woman with a camera curiously eyes a member of the New York City Police Department’s Hercules Team patroling New York’s Times Square, Monday night, Dec. 29, 2003.
It makes me feel less safe.
It seems the world saw a drive-by Rachelling. She did mention she might blog again. Well Rachel, let’s have it.
Note to self: Self, don’t peel an orange when you have a cut on your finger.
Anyone else notice an increase in spam from Spanish language sources? No necesito la ampliación del pene.
I purchased a ClipDraw for my Glock 30. It is easy to install and quite convenient. Those folks at ClipDraw thought of everything. I was leery of carrying the Glock with the trigger uncovered, as I am with any gun that has a trigger pull that is that light (about 5 pounds), because if it somehow managed to go off there’d be no future little uncles since I tend to carry in the front of my pants. I would carry my Sig 229 with the trigger uncovered because the trigger pull is much heavier (about 12 pounds) and less likely to be accidentally pulled. Never fear, ClipDraw to the rescue.
I also purchased the hand Saf-T-Blok. The Saf-T-Blok fits snuggly behind the trigger and prevents the trigger from being drawn rearward. This is almost as good as covering the trigger with traditional holsters. The Saf-T-Blok can also have a lock run through it to act as a child safety lock. Additionally, the Saf-T-Blok can prevent your gun from being used against you. Most people don’t know what a Saf-T-Blok is nor do they know how to pop it out. The Saf-T-Blok also adds zero to the amount of time it takes to draw and fire as you can pop it out on the draw.
The great thing about this combination is that you don’t have the added bulk of a holster. This added bulk could lead to a pistol printing (i.e., the imprint being seen through your clothing). I can (and have) carried the ClipDraw equipped Glock while wearing jeans and a t-shirt since the holster doesn’t add bulk. It is difficult for us skinny guys to carry without printing and I am glad a product is available that solves this problem without me having to wear sweaters and jackets in warmer weather. However, given Glock’s light trigger pull I’d have to recommend getting the Saf-T-Blok as well.
The ClipDraw is available for makes and models of popular semiautomatic handguns and revolvers. A definite must have.
Update: An update to this post can be found here.
New to the blogroll is Miniluv, who illustrates the asininity of the Assault Weapons Ban much more succinctly than I did.
It appears some of my liberal friends have become disenchanted with Dean. He’s like the losing race horse: Good out the gate but can’t make the long haul.
I wonder if we’ll see a mass exodus of Dean supporters switching to Clark? How do I feel about Clark? Well, being the single issue voter I am, he doesn’t pass the test at all.
It is probably a good idea for Democrats to switch to Clark. Why, you ask. I’ll tell you. Clark has a shot at beating Bush in the general election. Dean cannot. Of course, I doubt Clark can beat Dean in the primaries.
Note to Democrats: Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Maybe next time.
it would be that instead of just poetry, I’d say that 99.99% of all art sucks.
I’m not a big fan of Ann Coulter but, via Guy Montag, she writes about When Blue States Attack and opines that the red states leave the blue states alone but the blue states keep sending their lawyers to the red states.
Of course, I think we red states should just invade the blue ones. Heck, we have all the guns.
Apparently, the Sunsphere is broadcasting the sounds of various barnyard animals to repel birds. This is annoying to the neighbors. Now, there’s a Simpson’s episode for you.
With the terror alert thing now in a perpetual state of orange (meaning high), people often ask me what that means and what I do about it. As for what it means: nothing. As for what I do about it: carry an extra magazine.
Good news: Rodger is back. Bad news: I can’t find his archives.
Les buys a 22 and I tell you what not to do with that concealed weapon.
Per Yahoo:
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei visited the devastated city, where more than 25,000 people have died, and told hundreds of victims gathered in the street that he shared their grief.
Maybe he could do something about that little problem with freedom while he’s at it, or someone will do it for him. Mark my words, it’s coming.
A police officer was shot in gun free New York, which isn’t odd but what is odd is this paragraph from the article:
While authorities continue to piece together exactly what happened late Tuesday night, they do know one thing for certain–the weapon of choice used by the suspect, Keshon Everett. It was a semi-automatic machine pistol.
What the hell is a semi-automatic machine pistol it’s either a semi-automatic or a machine gun. Not both. You’d think a reporter in a state with so many shootings would maybe learn a thing or two about guns from exposure, if nothing else.
A guy goes and argues that, per the tax code, he shouldn’t have to pay taxes. The court rejected his motion without any opposing argument from the government and the judge provided no reason as to why the motion should be denied.
Sure, the guy may be wrong but the courts at least need to hear his case. That’s why we have courts, in case you were wondering.
Update: Tom’s smarminess in comments got me to looking for the case at the Court’s site and I noticed the PDF was blank. So, I googled up this Evans person and he has a website. On his website, he has the court’s opinion from October 2, 2003. It seems (and I am happy to say) the court did not dismiss his case without a reason. I guess the guy tried to do it again in December and was dismissed outright for trying that before.
Pretty neat bite statistics in this article that conclude that pit bull bites are common because the breed is popular:
When it comes to perspective, the issue of animal bites can demonstrate just how much interpretation is required. An animal bite can be anything from an insignificant nip by a small dog to a life-threatening injury from the instinct-driven mandibles of a wild animal.
No animal bite reported is higher than that of the pit bull. A total of 17 pit bull bites were recorded in 2003, but this does not necessarily mean that pit bulls are an uncontrollable breed. Pit bulls are a very popular breed, which makes them common. They are also sometimes purchased by owners who want a guard dog and that affects their training and behavior. Labradors are also very popular and not known for biting, yet there were nine bites attributed to this popular breed.
There were only eight more bites by Pit Bulls than Labs this year.
Shih tzus are not terribly common at all in Council Bluffs. Neither are vislas, weimriners or lhasa apsos for that matter. Yet the aggregate number of bites attributed to these dogs was four. If there were as many vislas, weimriners and lhasa apsos in Council Bluffs as there are pit bulls, the city would appear to be under almost constant attack by show dogs
And the interesting stats listed (click more below) show that there were 31 reported cat bites.
Read the rest of this entry »
Never realized this before but anyone notice how the movie A Christmas Story illustrates the gun control debate?
It has the anti-gun side: You’ll shoot your eye out.
It has the pro-gun side: The fact the kid thinks he is responsible enough to own a Red Ryder BB gun and the scene where he imagines using it to repel an invasion of his house.
It has gun safety: When the BB ricochets, it hits him in the eye. Thankfully, he’s practicing proper gun safety and wearing glasses.
And, I am happy to say, the pro gun side wins.
First, happy holidays to my readers (whatever holiday it may be). In the spirit of Christmas, here are a couple of things from the ghost of SayUncle past:
Have a safe and happy holiday.
Apparently, in Hell err New Jersey, some one broke into a house and shot the owners pit bull. This has happened twice to different people.
Actually, maybe three times. Turns out the dog I mentioned here was a pit bull.
A pit bull serial killer? Strange.
Seems that in Australia, gun crimes are on the rise. That is odd because Australia’s gun control laws should keep this from happening.
we have pictures of guys with machine guns standing around the capital and surface to air missiles deployed in cities.
This doesn’t make me feel any safer.
The American Temperament Test Society seeks to evaluate the temperaments of dogs using a standardized test. They have a description of the test that details the situations that they put dogs in. Now, there are obviously some issues with the tests, such as judgment of the judges, the relative excitability of each dog when undergoing a test (they know something is going on), and the type of person to submit their dog to such a test probably thinks that their dog is fairly well-behaved.
They also list the percentage of dogs that pass and fail the tests based on breed. Well, your friendly neighborhood SayUncle compiled the data (available by clicking the more link below) and discovered that based on relative temperament as percentage of pass or fail, pit bulls came in 116th out 202 breeds for having bad temperaments. A Dachshund has a worse temperament according to ATTS than a pit bull. In fact, a pit bull is comparable (scoring slightly better) in temperament to a golden retriever.
It really is a pity that pit bulls attract some owners who shouldn’t be allowed to own any dogs, much less dogs that have the gameness of pit bulls. Owners like this lead to dog aggressiveness toward people.
A cop in Brooklyn has bragged about beating suspects, giving bad tickets, and ignoring calls in an online forum at Xanga.
Over at Jeff’s weekly check on the gun bias, he mentions the NRA’s financial situation as quoted from the NYT:
The N.R.A. contends that its deficit is a fiction manufactured by accounting standards. “Trying to do an analysis of the organization based on its accounting-created balance sheet is a futile attempt because it is driven by assets that aren’t there, namely the quality of its members, and liabilities that aren’t really there either,” said Wilson H. Phillips Jr., the N.R.A. treasurer.
Jeff asks:
I am not an accountant (but I play one on TV) and I don’t know if this is real.
It could be real. The NRA could be receiving funds now and recording liabilities for it. Of course, we’d never know because the NRA doesn’t give out its financial information. I went to the Better Business Bureau non-profit site and found that:
Despite written BBB Wise Giving Alliance requests in the past year, this organization (the NRA) has not provided current information about its finances, programs, and governance.
What do they have to hide? Heck, the Brady Campaign gives its financial information. If you request a copy of the NRA’s tax return, they are required to give it to you.
I would do an in depth analysis of their financials but they’re not available. The deficit is cumulative results of operations and not year end results. But they did lose $20.4M in 2000. The NRA is not in the money making business and most non-profits only care about cash flow (i.e., can the cash coming in pay for the cash going out) and not profit. At the surface, I’m not too concerned about the NRA’s financial viability. They are likely still financially sound.
If anyone gets a copy of their financials or finds one, let me know.
Brazil’s crime rate is about to go up:
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a sweeping gun-control law Monday in an effort to rein in what he called “an epidemic of murder by firearms.”
Under the so-called disarmament statute passed Dec. 9 by Congress, only the armed forces, police, prison guards and private security personnel can possess firearms in Brazil.
Update: Per AlphaPatriot, the ban of gun sale to civilians already occured and have had no effect.
Junior,
You’re going to be born into a fairly affluent family. You don’t know what that means yet and very likely won’t for many years. Let’s just say you won’t want for anything because mom and dad do all right. We’re not rich (yet) but we do OK.
This past Sunday, your mom and I went to Lowe’s and Wal-Mart to pick up some things (ink jet cartridge and a keypad that opens the garage door). As we sometimes do, we stop in the store called The Dollar Tree, which sells items for a dollar. We stop in there to get toys for the dogs (who you haven’t met yet) that we don’t mind if they destroy, after all they’re just a dollar.
While deciding which knickknacks we were going to get for the dogs to destroy, we noticed some people shopping and overheard them saying Grandma will like this and Susie will like this toy. Here we were looking for stuff that we were going to let the dogs destroy at the same place a less fortunate family was doing their Christmas shopping for their loved ones. Boy, we felt pretty awful. And we felt sorry for them.
We spent probably $30 on the ink cartridge (I don’t even remember how much it costs and that makes me feel even worse) and $32 on the keypad. What can you do in this situation? Nothing really. It’s not like you can walk up to the family and hand them $62 and hope that makes you feel better. Or expect that $62 to turn their lives around if you got over the awkwardness of actually approaching them and giving it to them without making them feel belittled. So, I did nothing. We didn’t buy anything at the Dollar Tree that day.
In your life, you’re going to meet people less fortunate than you. Heck, the statistic is that most families are a month without pay away from being destitute (don’t worry, mom and I can last considerably longer – we have the luxury of planning for this sort of thing – you’re not even born yet and have a college fund that’s three years old). But one long-term illness and it could happen to us (OK, not really, we have insurance). But there is some set of circumstances that could financially ruin us, even though I can’t think of what they are currently. See, your mom and I have planned and we make decent money. A family Christmas shopping at the Dollar Tree doesn’t have a college fund, or insurance, or a savings account. They don’t have the stuff that we’ve already bought for you. They don’t have the luxury that your family has.
You need to be considerate of those less fortunate than you and you need to be kind. And you need to be charitable. I guess when mom and I get a few toys to donate to the Angel Tree, we’re making up for the way we felt at the Dollar Tree.
I guess my point is to give when you can.
This past summer when the wife and I visited Toronto (a very dog friendly city), we noticed several people walking pit bulls and quite a few people walking American Bulldogs. The breeds are popular there. The Toronto Star has a piece on pit bulls at shelters and the public fear and ignorance of the breed that is worth reading. Some key quotes:
But Pearl is a pit bull and sympathy doesn’t come easy when you’re the most hated breed of all.
Indeed and most papers are biased against them.
The pits arrive daily as strays that will never be claimed by their former owners. Most aren’t aggressive, just ill-mannered and hyperactive. But their reputation precedes them, leaving the humane society with the costly challenge of trying to find good homes for the dogs many view as four-legged killers.
Ill-mannered and hyperactive describes most puppies. Pits and other bully types do tend to take longer to mature. They stay in that puppy stage often up to the age of three.
At times, says White, there are so many pit bulls (a term that describes a number of different types of pit-like dogs) for adoption, the society has had to go to shelters outside the city to trade for different breeds of dogs. Pit bull abandonment is an urban problem, so smaller country shelters often don’t mind exchanging a dog for a pit or two.
A paper distinguishing between different types of pits is a rarity.
When they do grow up, pit bulls can be a lot to handle if they’re not properly trained, says White. She believes most of the dogs here today are “haphazard mistakes,” the products of irresponsible backyard breeders who know nothing about genetics.
“For whatever reason, they attract a very irresponsible owner,” she says. “There’s a certain segment of society that will always want a big tough dog.”
It’s good to see a paper lay the blame on owners and breeders.
And the key problems the breed faces:
“The public perception of these dogs is already destroyed and it’s only going to get worse,” Rickerby says from her Cobourg home. “There’s so much hatred around these dogs. People aren’t rational about them.”
As a member of a pit bull rescue group, Rickerby says she’s seen how often these dogs are abandoned and she’s frustrated by what irresponsible owners have done to the pit bull.
“They’re destroying the breed,” she says, referring particularly to the American Pit Bull Terrier. The dog has increasingly become associated with criminals and the lower class, she adds.
Like White, Rickerby acknowledges pit bulls have killed. She says pit bulls are not as likely to bite humans as other dogs, but “if they do they’re going to inflict more damage.”
Thanks to Nicole Macintyre for actually doing an article on Pit Bulls that tells the other side to the story of this fantastic breed.
As a sidenote, the Crocodile Hunter’s dog is a Pit Bull, as was Petey from the Little Rascals.
The 2003 1040EZ instruction booklet is 32 pages. We need 32 pages to fill out the easy form.
A 31 year old New York City woman, Giuseppina Guidici, had an abusive husband. After Guidici’s husband “held up a gun and threatened to kill her father”, she shot and killed him. Sounds like another case of a scumbag wife beater getting what he deserved, doesn’t it? Well not in the liberal utopia that is New York, where the rights dead scumbags are cherished more than those of the law-abiding.
This week, Guidici was sentenced to five years probation for second-degree manslaughter
Guy tells us what really happened regarding the Halliburton gouging. This is important because he took issue with my post on the new Halliburton contract.
You could get ticketed in the city of Omaha for warming up your car in the morning. It’s illegal to leave your car running if you don’t have control of it.
Some people are learning about the law the hard way.
Early Friday morning, Chad Roberts went outside to warm up his car. He started the engine and locked the door behind him with an extra key. Then he went inside while the car warmed up.
“When I came back outside, there were three cops that blocked the cars that were started,” said Roberts.
Glad they had three cops to stop this menace to society.
This is only funny to the extent that certain pundits made fun of the Bush girl drinking habits as though they were an indication that Bush was unfit:
The son of former Vice President Al Gore is facing marijuana possession charges.
Twenty-one-year old Albert A. Gore was arrested Friday night along with two others in downtown Bethesda, Maryland.
A Montgomery County police officer stopped a dark-colored Cadillac driving without its headlights on. Gore was the driver. The officer noticed an odor of marijuana. A search of the car turned up a partial marijuana cigarette, a cigarette box with suspected marijuana, and a soda can that also smelled of pot.
Actually, if he could get his dad to smoke weed, his dad might be more bearable.
This article, which states that gun manufacturers are ignoring technology and not putting essential safety features on guns (which is a stupid assertion), also lists the rules of gun safety.
If you follow the rules of gun safety, you really don’t need any safety mechanisms. To wit:
When the California native was shot in the face at close range and left a quadriplegic, the police investigation focused on the family friend who was unloading the gun when it discharged.
Police found the 20-year-old friend was careless in unloading the gun around children, but never charged him with a crime.
There was another culprit — the gun.
The pistol, a Bryco Model 38 semiautomatic, lacked critical safety features, making the weapon more dangerous to handle. There was no easy way to tell the gun was loaded and it fired even after the magazine — the clip with ammunition — had been removed.
The gun’s design increases the possibility of accidents because the safety — the main feature that prevents unintentional discharges — has to be turned off when the gun is being unloaded, experts say.
Let me be clear: Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit! I’m sorry you’re in a wheelchair but the fact is your friend is an idiot and is responsible, not Bryco. You don’t point guns at people unless you’re willing to shoot them. Period. And there’s always a way to see if a gun is loaded, by looking in the chamber. And a magazine disconnect safety is pointless. Look in the chamber.
Lack of a magazine disconnect safety is common on most guns, particularly police sidearms. This way, they can cover an area with a round in the chamber as they are loading a new magazine. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
The reason I am surprised at this article is simply because they list the rules of gun safety. If the people involved in this sob story had followed those rules, no one would have been shot in the face.
While everyone was covering the capture of Saddam and Michael Jackson, the Bush administration snuck Patriot II into Congress.
The NRA has a $100M deficit. Ouch.
Another reason I figure they’ll endorse Bush is they share spending habits. Nevermind that Bush supports the Assault Weapons Ban, it’s political. The NRA will endorse Bush and I’d bet a beer on that too.
Update: Stoney has more on the NRA, its strategy, and dues.
So, Iraq/Al Qaeda ties aren’t new:
ARE AL QAEDA’S links to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq just a fantasy of the Bush administration? Hardly. The Clinton administration also warned the American public about those ties and defended its response to al Qaeda terror by citing an Iraqi connection.
I have contended before that there was an Iraq/Terror connection but never specifically an Al Qaeda connection. Now, it seems there’s evidence of both.
Wow! You know a lot has changed when Lefties are recycling old Rightie jokes about lefties to use against Republicans.
It’s still funny.
Via Brian.
So, it looks like Ralph Nader is going to run. I take issue with this because (as I’ve stated before) I have a plan. See, I’m one of those libertarians who has a history of voting Republican because they’re slightly less bad than Democrats. I was planning on voting Libertarian this time around and hoping that all those other libertarians like me would do the same. I was hoping that would cost Dubya the election and that would send a message to the Republicans and they’d knock of this big government, supporting the assault weapons ban, civil liberties violations crap at the next go around.
Now, if Nader runs, some lefties will jump ship and not vote for Dean (or whoever wins the Democrat primary). Hence, Dems may lose votes thus nullifying the loss of votes that I’d expect Republicans to get.
I’ve said before that I’d bet a beer that Bush will win. If Nader enters, I’d up it to two beers.
Brutal Hugs is a blog you should be reading. Seems a bit left but without all that conspiracy stuff that makes a lot of lefties look, well, insane.
The gang at Brutal Hugs classified me as a lefty on their blogroll. I guess they’ve not been reading long.
Knoxville expected to not really notice the difference. The KNS is all about sucking up to the Haslams. It’s almost embarassing. Bill Haslam and the KNS should really get a room.
Looks like Haslam is all set to go four terms with the same old good ol’ boy politics of his predecessor. Nothing new to see here, keep it moving.
This guy really doesn’t like John Lott, which is not necessarily bad. Lott’s credibility issues have essentially damaged any real positive impact his research may have had on the gun debate. It’s a pity Lott and I are on the same side.
He’s not as bad as Bellisiles (who Tim is hard on as well) but when comparing fraud with sloppiness, no one really wins. Tim is right, Lott is on Lott’s side.
After all, we all know that those drugs support terrorism commercials were a bunch of evil Republican nonsense designed to scare children:
A U.S. Navy ship operating in the Persian Gulf has captured millions of dollars worth of illegal drugs aboard a smuggling boat that authorities said was linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network of Osama bin Laden.
A boarding team from the USS Decatur, a guided-missile destroyer, discovered nearly two tons of narcotics with a street value of $8 million to $10 million aboard a 40-foot dhow that was intercepted Monday, the U.S. Central Command announced today.
I lived for a while in Hell err New Jersey (which is why I refer to it as Hell err New Jersey) but I am from Tennessee. A coworker of mine is from New York and now lives in Tennessee. She’s going through that transplanted yankee thing even after ten years of living here. I tried to tell her that no matter how hard she tried or how long she lived here, she’d always be a transplanted yankee.
We were talking about stuff and somehow got on the subject of racism and geographical region. This is all anecdotal, of course, but I don’t care. We both (based on our experiences living in the north east and the south east) concluded the same thing. In the north, we both observed more racism. And by more, we both meant that we met more individuals who were racist. In the south, while we met fewer racists, the racists we did meet were more racist than the racists in the north, i.e., in the north, people seemed annoyed by people of other races and had names for them but southern racists wanted to hurt people.
We felt as though in the north racism was kept more of a secret attributable to lots of people. And in the south, it’s no secret (heck, we still read about the occasional cross burning here) but there’s less of it.
I found it interesting and thought I’d share it.
I just realized that Jeff is a pit bull guy. I knew Eric was as well.
I thought I was the only dog blogger. Good. My dog is actually an American Bulldog, not a pit bull. But they have similar lineage. An American Pit Bull Terrier is supposedly a cross between an American Bulldog and a Bull Terrier.
Update: Jeff says e-Claire is too. I sense another blog alliance coming!
Update 2: CJ does too. Well, half a bully.
In the past 48 hours, there has been an increase in terrorist threats to a number of cities in the U.S., including New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C., ABCNEWS has learned.
Threat information is coming from intelligence intercepts, interrogation of recent detainees and other methods of intelligence sources say. Intelligence and law enforcement officials are currently evaluating the threat information and will determine how to respond within the next few days.
Sources say the threat to New York City involves a suicide bomber, possibly a female, but no specific target has been identified. Intelligence sources are still evaluating the credibility of this threat.
Via Kathy.
You cannot use the phrases tax avoidance and tax evasion interchangeably. Tax evasion is illegal. Tax avoidance is not. A rather important difference.
The lengths people will go to in order to make life easier for their beloved pets is astounding.
Barry responds to his critics (he’s bloggered scroll down to Vilification and Clarification).
Honestly, blaming an object I can’t buy. By his logic, we shouldn’t drive, possess household cleaners, have bathtubs, cross the street, etc.
Apparently, the south comprises the largest percentage of US population:
The South now accounts for 36 percent of the nation’s total population, the numbers show, with the West comprising 23 percent, the Midwest 22 percent and the Northeast 19 percent.
I actually find that surprising. I thought it would be the north east.
No, not the facts of life, the TN GOP’s agenda:
Among the proposals: allowing concealed weapons permit-holders to take their guns into bars, as long as they don’t drink; mandatory felony charges for methamphetamine users; and government funding for faith-based efforts to treat those drug abusers.
Oh, and a ban on gay marriage and domestic partnerships.
The paper of making up the record:
A classified Bush administration report has found that the largest counterterrorism exercise conducted by the federal government since the Sept. 11 attacks was marred by communications problems, serious shortages of medical supplies and hospital rooms and confusion over where the residue of a radiological attack would spread, administration officials said on Thursday.
The five-day exercise last May in Chicago and Seattle, known as Topoff 2, tested the response of federal agencies and local governments to nearly simultaneous terrorist attacks using biological agents and a so-called dirty bomb, a crude radiological device.
Administration officials said they were disturbed by the report’s suggestion that a continuing lack of preparedness by federal and local governments would result in unnecessary deaths in the event of a major terrorist attack. But they insisted that many of the communications and logistical problems identified in the exercise had been corrected in the seven months since the $16 million exercise was conducted.
So, how many billions on Homeland Security? Plus $16M for the test and it’s still a bit buggy.
Tim Lambert writes a critique of the John Lott article that I linked to here.
It appears to me that Mr. Lambert is guilty of the same sleight of hand he’s accusing Lott of. Master of None has more.
Gun shot deaths do not always equal murder.
Some new folks on the blogroll:
damnum absque cum injuria – Screw it, I’ll call him Jeff, God of Biscuits*.
North Georgia Dogma – North Georgia is close enough to Tennessee for me.
Both worth the read!
* bonus if you know the reference!
President Bush (news – web sites) does not have power to detain American citizen Jose Padilla seized on U.S. soil as an enemy combatant, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.
The decision could force Padilla, held in a so-called “dirty bomb” plot, to be tried in civilian courts.
In a 2-to-1 ruling, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news – web sites) said Padilla’s detention was not authorized by Congress and that Bush could not designate him as an enemy combatant without the authorization.
Seems we’re always in the news for something and we appreciate it. Michael Silence writes on the effects of Iraqi bloggers. He quotes the big guy and Reverend Artillery.
Manish lists a CBS news poll of Democrat contenders. Al Sharpton is leading Kerry, Edwards, and Kucinich. And is trailing Gephardt by 1%.
So, O’Reilly (always good for stating the internet is bad) says that the Drudge Report is bad for democracy.
If you have a website, you’re crazy and a threat to democracy.
A man about to be shot by an intruder was saved when his dog jumped in and took the bullet for him, authorities said. The animal later died from its wound.
The shooting occurred early Monday when the 29-year-old man, who police would not identify, heard someone knock on a rear door at his Millville home. When he opened it, he saw two men, and one of them pulled out a shotgun.
As the homeowner dived to the floor to escape the gunman, authorities said the dog jumped between them and was shot one time before the two men fled. The dog’s owner was not injured.
The shooting was drug related, authorities said, but further details about the dog and the weapon used were not available. The two men remained at large early Wednesday.
So, after Halliburton is accused of overcharging millions of dollars to the government, you’d expect some discretion in dealing with them? You’d be wrong. Instead, we give them another $222M no-bid contract.
Oh my!
Via Kevin comes this report:
For the first time, the chairman of the independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks is saying publicly that 9/11 could have and should have been prevented, reports CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston.
“This is a very, very important part of history and we’ve got to tell it right,” said Thomas Kean.
“As you read the report, you’re going to have a pretty clear idea what wasn’t done and what should have been done,” he said. “This was not something that had to happen.”
Appointed by the Bush administration, Kean, a former Republican governor of New Jersey, is now pointing fingers inside the administration and laying blame.
“There are people that, if I was doing the job, would certainly not be in the position they were in at that time because they failed. They simply failed,” Kean said.
To find out who failed and why, the commission has navigated a political landmine, threatening a subpoena to gain access to the president’s top-secret daily briefs. Those documents may shed light on one of the most controversial assertions of the Bush administration – that there was never any thought given to the idea that terrorists might fly an airplane into a building.
In hindsight, anything is preventable so I don’t place too much validity in this report and its attempts at blaming someone other than a few insane zealots. This will be trotted out as some sort of failure of the administration (which it’s not) rather than as a failure of security people. Of course, if the people who were grossly negligent (which is the implication) they should fired and sued.
Chris was nice enough to give me a copy of his homemade news aggregator. It’s installed and you can access it here.
I’ve added some of my blogroll and news feeds that actually have RSS feeds to it (I was surprised at the number of folks who don’t). They’re not all there yet. It takes time to set up but it will be worth it. And if you don’t have a feed, you need to get one, it’s the future. I was actually surprised how many sites don’t have them. It makes it so easy to read your favorite sites in one place. You folks on Moveable Type have them at yoururl.com/index.xml. For reference, mine can be accessed here.
Sure, it’s a violation of civil liberties but I can’t help but find this funny.
Via Rodger.
Update: Alternate title could have been White man beaten by policeman and nobody cares.
The website that listed the last meals of Texas death row inmates (which I blogged here) has removed the last meals from the website:
The final meals of executed prisoners are off the menu on the Texas prison system’s Internet site.
Texas, which far and away leads all U.S. states in executions since a national death penalty ban was lifted in 1976, has long listed details of the meals on the prison system’s Web site, www.tdcj.state.tx.us.
But Michelle Lyons, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said they were removed last week during a redesign of the site.
“We had some complaints from people in both the U.S. and abroad that it might be in poor taste to distribute that information on the Web site,” she said.
The information about last meals will still be made available to reporters covering executions.
I monkeyed with the font settings so that readers could adjust text size with thier browser. Is it better or not?
Also, I used some java script to put random quotes in the top right corner and none of you have noticed! Or rather, none of you have said anything about it.
The AP:
President Bush has signed legislation making it easier for FBI agents investigating terrorism to demand financial records from casinos, car dealerships, and other businesses.
The changes were included in a bill authorizing 2004 intelligence programs. Most of the details of the bill are secret, including the total cost of the programs, which are estimated to be about $40 billion. That would be slightly more than Bush had requested.
Bush signed the bill Saturday, the White House announced.
The bill expands the number of businesses from which the FBI and other US authorities conducting intelligence work can demand financial records without seeking court approval.
Secret parts of the bill have no place in our society. Sure, we can have secret budgets but not secret laws.
Governor Phil Bredesen is getting high marks:
A poll shows that 11 months after electing Gov. Bredesen, almost three quarters of Tennessee voters approve of the job he has done.
The poll conducted for the Chattanooga Times Free Press showed 49 percent of the respondents gave a good rating for the Democratic governor’s job performance.
Twenty-three percent gave an excellent rating. Four percent of the 400 registered and likely voters gave him a poor rating and 15 percent rated Bredesen’s work as fair.
I’ve been happy with Phil.
The paper of usually making up the record writes:
Iraq’s foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, accused the United Nations Security Council today of having failed to help rescue his country from Saddam Hussein, and he chided member states for bickering over his beleaguered country’s future.
“Settling scores with the United States-led coalition should not be at the cost of helping to bring stability to the Iraqi people,” Mr. Zebari said in language unusually scolding for an occupant of the guest seat at the end of the curving Security Council table.
“Squabbling over political differences takes a back seat to the daily struggle for security, jobs, basic freedoms and all the rights the U.N. is chartered to uphold,” he said
My personal favorite:
The United Nations as an organization failed to help rescue the Iraqi people from a murderous tyranny that lasted over 35 years, and today we are unearthing thousands of victims in horrifying testament to that failure.”
He declared, “The U.N. must not fail the Iraqi people again.”
And Kofi Annan responds with:
Now is not the time to pin blame and point fingers
Yes, Kofi, it is. The UN has sat idly by while dictators commit atrocities, and this was par for the course. Glad someone called you on it.
Side note: I caught part of Dubya’s interview last night and some how had missed that during the announcement of Saddam’s capture, Iraqi reporters stood up and shouted Death to Saddam.
So, the ATF raids and shuts down five gun stores. They must be breaking the law, right? Well, we don’t know:
But the ATF released few specifics about the cases and said no charges had yet been filed against the businesses or the men taken into custody.
No charges? And you shut down their businesses, detain them and confiscate their property.
Murders were up slightly during the last six months. I think this is the first time the murder rate has increased in a while. The increase is attributed to an increase in gang activity.
Well, not odd that Ashcroft and the administration are quarantining free speech. But odd that a site called American Conservative is pointing it out.
Ouch!
To quote Ashcroft:
To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty … your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and … give ammunition to America’s enemies.
No, sir. Your tactics and actions already state simply the terrorists won.
More poo pooing on the NYT but they deserve it:
When a publication of record such as the New York Times gets Baghdad’s October murder rates wrong by up to a factor of 28 to 1 and no correction is issued, the consequences are significant. To equate accidental deaths and U.S. soldiers killing terrorists with murders is irresponsible.
Interesting sidenote from the article:
This June, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld started the ruckus when he said: “You’ve got to remember that if Washington, D.C., were the size of Baghdad, we would be having something like 215 murders a month.” Some were bothered simply because this indicated that Iraq was being handled well. Others were upset that a country where civilians were able to freely own machine guns could have a lower murder rate than our own nation’s capital where even handguns are banned. The claim did not sit well with those pushing to renew the assault weapons ban in our own country.
Les Jones quotes honestreporting:
In violent acts by Israelis, “Israel” was named in 100% of the headlines, and the verb was in the active voice in 100% of the headlines, i.e.:
“Israeli Troops Shoot Dead Palestinian in W. Bank” (July 3)But in violent acts by Palestinians, the Palestinian perpetrator was named in just 33% of the headlines, and the verb was generally in the passive voice, i.e.:
“Bus Blows Up in Central Jerusalem” (June 11)
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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