The crime scenes aren't even complete and the politicians are already trying to blame someone other than the suspects for the marathon bombing. Really? And now we want to designate special terrorist status? Look, I realize that, more and more, elected officials hate that little thing called the Constitution and its companion, the Bill of Rights. Despite your dogged determination to fight the war on terror, the reality is that he is a criminal on US soil. He is entitled to his Miranda Rights, his lawyer and his due process. Just like every other criminal in the US. Was the crime horrible? Yes. Was it possible that his brother had training elsewhere? Yes. Is it possible that they got everything they needed from the internet and local stores? More than likely. Should we maybe let the FBI do their job for more than a week before we start assessing blame? How about you go do something useful at the capitol, like removing old laws that no longer apply or figuring out how to repair our national infrastructure without lining the pockets of all of your cronies?
The reality is that we, the people, elected these morons, and until we stop electing them, our government will continue to be a silly three ring circus.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Word to the wise...
When your wife is in a rage about unfinished and incorrectly completed items in the kitchen, the proper response is not "Dear, can you turn the attitude down a couple of notches?" Trust me on this...
The news can be depressing or annoying...
I made an immediate observation yesterday while reading the reports on the tragedy in Boston. There are daily bombings in Iraq that take dozens of lives and it is a Page 2, Column 3 item with the news organizations. We have a bombing in the US that kills three and it is front page, top of the news channels complete with its own catchy title and font. Admittedly, I am following it as much as any American, since it happened in my country, but I did find the observation interesting, as did several people on CNN's comment section.
That being said, I noticed another story regarding drones and how they are "radicalizing a new generation of terrorist" in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. I am on the fence about drones, in that I like the military having that capability, but I don't like the legal twister that has been played to justify the use of them in other countries against the wishes of that countries government. But that is neither her nor there, since the issue was the young boys being "de-radicalized" in the Swat Valley after being apprehended by the Pakistani government. I applaud their efforts. What I thought was simple minded was the journalist that made the case for drone strikes being the main reason for the radicalization of these boys by the Taliban militants. The mentality shown by the islamic militants in general has shown that they will find a reason to blame the US for the woes of their people. Drone strikes are convenient at this time, but support for Israel, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the shelling by US warships of Lebanon in the 80's, the Crusades, all of these are game and the list is endless. When a group is looking to bend people to its will, especially people that will be expendable, they need only a convenient excuse.
That being said, I noticed another story regarding drones and how they are "radicalizing a new generation of terrorist" in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. I am on the fence about drones, in that I like the military having that capability, but I don't like the legal twister that has been played to justify the use of them in other countries against the wishes of that countries government. But that is neither her nor there, since the issue was the young boys being "de-radicalized" in the Swat Valley after being apprehended by the Pakistani government. I applaud their efforts. What I thought was simple minded was the journalist that made the case for drone strikes being the main reason for the radicalization of these boys by the Taliban militants. The mentality shown by the islamic militants in general has shown that they will find a reason to blame the US for the woes of their people. Drone strikes are convenient at this time, but support for Israel, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the shelling by US warships of Lebanon in the 80's, the Crusades, all of these are game and the list is endless. When a group is looking to bend people to its will, especially people that will be expendable, they need only a convenient excuse.
Monday, April 15, 2013
The year has not started well...
The new year has not started well by any stretch. I received diabetes for Christmas, although really that is my fault. I don't get enough exercise, and while my diet isn't horrible, it isn't great when mixed with just sitting on my ass. I have no one to blame but myself.
Then some close friends were notified that the house they were renting went into foreclosure and they got a 60 day notice. Feeling bad for them, we immediately offered to assist. Less than a week later, we found out that the house we were renting was being sold, and we got a 60 day notice. Lovely. In the middle of that time, I found out that I had unplanned 2 week business trip to Colorado. Three weeks work in two weeks time later, I was back to complete the final push of the move from a three bedroom house into a two bedroom apartment. And storage. Lots of storage. I didn't realize we owned that much crap. Also, some friends, including those that had to move, assisted us with great effort, and I thank them heartily. Some were not able to come but arranged for others to, who we now call friends as well. And many, well they kept a low profile. Sad, but I decided not to dwell.
Now I am exhausted. My wife and daughter are broken, literally. I will be selling a firearm to help pay for the move, which still leaves a huge hole to fill. We have been taking only what we need into the apartment, and still have too much there. After that, we reduce the level of our belongings on a grand scale. The next time I move, I want it to fit into one 17 foot box truck with room to spare. Many things will go, some of which we have emotional attachment to. But it will all have to go. And maybe, after all of it is gone, we will be able to move somewhere that we own and can purchase outright.
Then some close friends were notified that the house they were renting went into foreclosure and they got a 60 day notice. Feeling bad for them, we immediately offered to assist. Less than a week later, we found out that the house we were renting was being sold, and we got a 60 day notice. Lovely. In the middle of that time, I found out that I had unplanned 2 week business trip to Colorado. Three weeks work in two weeks time later, I was back to complete the final push of the move from a three bedroom house into a two bedroom apartment. And storage. Lots of storage. I didn't realize we owned that much crap. Also, some friends, including those that had to move, assisted us with great effort, and I thank them heartily. Some were not able to come but arranged for others to, who we now call friends as well. And many, well they kept a low profile. Sad, but I decided not to dwell.
Now I am exhausted. My wife and daughter are broken, literally. I will be selling a firearm to help pay for the move, which still leaves a huge hole to fill. We have been taking only what we need into the apartment, and still have too much there. After that, we reduce the level of our belongings on a grand scale. The next time I move, I want it to fit into one 17 foot box truck with room to spare. Many things will go, some of which we have emotional attachment to. But it will all have to go. And maybe, after all of it is gone, we will be able to move somewhere that we own and can purchase outright.
Monday, February 11, 2013
I am worn...
I have not had much motivation to put thoughts to paper (as it were) for a while. After the disappointment of the elections, we had tragic happenings in the northwest and the northeast and I just got tired of discussing it. I finally had a discussion with my mother the other day where we discussed our viewpoints on those events and the current furor over firearms. In the end, while she recognized that I was able to back my opinion up with facts and that she was reacting more out of emotion than fact, we still ended up in the same place I was in my email exchange with Diane Fienstien several years ago, we had to agree to disagree.
Then I see big news reports about the massive manhunt in Los Angeles. Having just been there recently, I know what a massive undertaking that can be. I am interested in the amount of manpower being used to protect members of the force and their families. What interests me more is when that manpower, amped by the threat to their own, reacts poorly.
So far, three people in two different events, have had their vehicles destroyed by police gunfire (in one case) and both ramming by a patrol car and gunfire (in the other). In both cases, the truck did not match the suspect vehicle nor did the occupant match the suspect description. In the second case, the person had just finished being stopped by another patrol car (without gunfire or ramming) and been cleared.
We do not live in a third world or occupied nation. Our police forces all have procedures to follow, no matter what the threat. This behavior is as inexcusable as that perpetrated by the man they feared. I was willing to accept the fact that in NYC, on a crowded street, officers would wound 9 civilians while actively engaging a shooter who just murdered someone. This behaviour is much more like the farce that was the Jose Guerena shooting, and from the looks of it, I imagine it will be swept under the same rug.
Then I see big news reports about the massive manhunt in Los Angeles. Having just been there recently, I know what a massive undertaking that can be. I am interested in the amount of manpower being used to protect members of the force and their families. What interests me more is when that manpower, amped by the threat to their own, reacts poorly.
So far, three people in two different events, have had their vehicles destroyed by police gunfire (in one case) and both ramming by a patrol car and gunfire (in the other). In both cases, the truck did not match the suspect vehicle nor did the occupant match the suspect description. In the second case, the person had just finished being stopped by another patrol car (without gunfire or ramming) and been cleared.
We do not live in a third world or occupied nation. Our police forces all have procedures to follow, no matter what the threat. This behavior is as inexcusable as that perpetrated by the man they feared. I was willing to accept the fact that in NYC, on a crowded street, officers would wound 9 civilians while actively engaging a shooter who just murdered someone. This behaviour is much more like the farce that was the Jose Guerena shooting, and from the looks of it, I imagine it will be swept under the same rug.
Friday, December 28, 2012
The Founding Fathers were...
I have seen many programs, read many articles and read a number of books regarding the Founding Fathers, those who wrote the Declaration, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I have seen how they were successful businessmen. How they were inventors, innovators, soldiers and spies. They risked their lives for the birth of our nation. They were generally educated and accomplished. I hear and see many people talk about the brilliance which they used to craft the bill that ensures freedom of speech and religion, prevents unlawful search and seizure and guarantees the right to trial by a jury of peers. These men were the great men of their time.
Yet, when a discussion on the Second Amendment to the bill of rights is brought out, the opinion brought forth is that these were simple men who lacked the knowledge, foresight and scientific understanding to see where weapons development might lead, despite was was said when discussing other amendments. I find this to be a curious, considering how many were involved directly in the War of Independence. Looking into history, I see that firearms with a revolving cylinder were known as early as the 16th century, such as the revolving matchlock once owned by Louis the XIII of France. I see that grenade launchers were not only in use as early as the 16th century (the Germans made them well), the British had a standard attachment for the 1747 carbine for launching hand grenades. Speaking of which, grenades have been around since ancient times in one form or another. During the classic ages when western civilisation centered in the Mediterranean area, they were more like Molotov cocktails intended to spread fire on ships, on those besieging a fixed fortification or inside a fixed fortification. However, modern grenades have been around since the 16th century and were used by the British against the upstart colonists. Rifling of barrels started in about the 1550s, so again we have "modern" inventions that apparently aren't so modern. I won't even go into air rifles, artillery and rockets.
The founding fathers wrote this amendment with the full knowledge of what has already been sent to the battlefield. Many of them had firsthand knowledge and the intellegence to know that things would only advance. They had the option to put in wording like rifle, musket, pistol, flintlock and so on. They didn't. They debated this item for over three months before finalizing this amendment. They knew what they were doing when they did it.
Yet, when a discussion on the Second Amendment to the bill of rights is brought out, the opinion brought forth is that these were simple men who lacked the knowledge, foresight and scientific understanding to see where weapons development might lead, despite was was said when discussing other amendments. I find this to be a curious, considering how many were involved directly in the War of Independence. Looking into history, I see that firearms with a revolving cylinder were known as early as the 16th century, such as the revolving matchlock once owned by Louis the XIII of France. I see that grenade launchers were not only in use as early as the 16th century (the Germans made them well), the British had a standard attachment for the 1747 carbine for launching hand grenades. Speaking of which, grenades have been around since ancient times in one form or another. During the classic ages when western civilisation centered in the Mediterranean area, they were more like Molotov cocktails intended to spread fire on ships, on those besieging a fixed fortification or inside a fixed fortification. However, modern grenades have been around since the 16th century and were used by the British against the upstart colonists. Rifling of barrels started in about the 1550s, so again we have "modern" inventions that apparently aren't so modern. I won't even go into air rifles, artillery and rockets.
The founding fathers wrote this amendment with the full knowledge of what has already been sent to the battlefield. Many of them had firsthand knowledge and the intellegence to know that things would only advance. They had the option to put in wording like rifle, musket, pistol, flintlock and so on. They didn't. They debated this item for over three months before finalizing this amendment. They knew what they were doing when they did it.
Monday, December 3, 2012
More hope-n-change...
So in the face of the "Fiscal Cliff" the Obama Administration decided that the need for more taxes can be met by.... Closing a company in operation for a century! In a move as monumentally stupid as the removal of vast swaths of campgrounds in Yosemite Park, a small oyster farm in the Point Reyes National Seashore is now closed, 30 people are out of work, 40% of California's oyster production is toast and all the the revenue generated for the local, state and fedgov is history. Nice.
The environmentalists would have you believe that this operation was bringing Drakes Bay to its knees, devastating the wildlife, despoiling the shoreline and generally killing nature in a wanton slaughter. They would like the area restored to it former beauty... before humans arrived.
However, when reality is checked we find that one can barely find the place on Google Earth. In fact, the place looks pretty damn good for a century of pillaging the bay. The reality is that they have a very small footprint and the impact to the environment is blown out of proportion by the environmentalists. In fact, the cattle ranching activities are far more damaging to the environment and they are all going to stay in place.
This is the same mentality that is driving the various Yosemite plans. They currently have 5 different plans for the valley to choose from, all of which result in less people in the park. More and more affordable camping disappears so that the few who get in can see everything from a distance. Having been there many times and seen the changes so far, I fear that by the time I get back, it will only be to see it from an ecologically sound tour bus. I personally think that most of the upper management should be fired and the remainder of the staff reminded that the park is for the people, and if we return the valley to the condition seen in the 1880s photograph that is their actual guideline, none of the people will be able to see it.
Generally, I am for taking care of the environment. However, decisions like this just bug the living crap out of me. This is a perfect example of why I have no use for most of the environmental groups and will never support any of them. None of them will be happy until we take care of the environment by ceasing to exist, thus preserving the pristine landscapes. Personally, I hope a sinkhole opens under the offices of the West Marin EAC. Then we could tell them that we cannot save them or their offices because it would interfere with the natural state of the environment.
The environmentalists would have you believe that this operation was bringing Drakes Bay to its knees, devastating the wildlife, despoiling the shoreline and generally killing nature in a wanton slaughter. They would like the area restored to it former beauty... before humans arrived.
However, when reality is checked we find that one can barely find the place on Google Earth. In fact, the place looks pretty damn good for a century of pillaging the bay. The reality is that they have a very small footprint and the impact to the environment is blown out of proportion by the environmentalists. In fact, the cattle ranching activities are far more damaging to the environment and they are all going to stay in place.
This is the same mentality that is driving the various Yosemite plans. They currently have 5 different plans for the valley to choose from, all of which result in less people in the park. More and more affordable camping disappears so that the few who get in can see everything from a distance. Having been there many times and seen the changes so far, I fear that by the time I get back, it will only be to see it from an ecologically sound tour bus. I personally think that most of the upper management should be fired and the remainder of the staff reminded that the park is for the people, and if we return the valley to the condition seen in the 1880s photograph that is their actual guideline, none of the people will be able to see it.
Generally, I am for taking care of the environment. However, decisions like this just bug the living crap out of me. This is a perfect example of why I have no use for most of the environmental groups and will never support any of them. None of them will be happy until we take care of the environment by ceasing to exist, thus preserving the pristine landscapes. Personally, I hope a sinkhole opens under the offices of the West Marin EAC. Then we could tell them that we cannot save them or their offices because it would interfere with the natural state of the environment.
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