People who want every discussion of current events to go back to first principles are tiresome and I find discussion with them is seldom profitable. Plus, people avoid them at parties.
Instapundit.
20050817
so that's why I couldn't get laid in college
This cuts way too close to home:
Instapundit.
Instapundit.
20050815
20050725
and here's the graphic
Yes, WUTT! supports the McCain Feingold insurrection.
Here's the beginning of the neat graphic that I promised. It might need work, but I'm rather new to Photoshop. Will defer to Really Smart People who suggest what and how to modify.
And meet Biter, companion to Beater. She's a stainless Series 80 Colt Combat Commander, with a few mods of course, though not as sweet and personable as Swen's equalizer.
20050717
What I did on my summer vacation, Part 2
OK, now time for Part 2. If you didn’t read Part 1, you probably should...
As you may have deduced from my notes in Part 1, my trip's theme was "Us vs. Them". My goal was to visit the location of some major – and not so major – conflicts between American citizens and their government. The common threads in these conflicts were (1) a sweeping distrust of the government on the part of the involved civilians, (2) an overreaction to that distrust on the part of one or both parties, and (3) the ensuing death/massacre as a result of that overreaction. I chose five locations to visit:
Sand Creek, CO, location of an encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians;
Waco, TX, site of the Branch Davidian complex named Mt Carmel;
Medina, ND, location of a deadly confrontation with tax protestor Gordon Kahl;
Naples, ID, nearest town to Ruby Ridge;
Granby, CO, town partially bulldozed as a result of a zoning dispute.
While many people will recognize these names and incidents, some may not. I won't go into detail about what happened in each case so here are some links to more information. (NB: there are obvious "extremes" in a few of these articles. Read with appropriate BS filters as needed…)
Sand Creek
Sand Creek
Waco (an excellent book, by the way)
Medina (lots of embedded sub-links here...)
Medina
Medina
Ruby Ridge (another excellent book, with an objective approach even!!)
Ruby Ridge
Granby
Sand Creek
As the placard explains, the massacre of these peaceful Indians was unprovoked. The Army misdirected its efforts to stem violence directed towards white settlers by attacking the wrong encampment. While investigative resources of the day were sorely lacking, certainly a little research on the part of the Colorado Territorial Government could have prevented this disaster. Accusations that Colonel Chivington blatantly disregarded orders remain to this day.
As of Nov 2000, the site has been officially designated a National Historical Site. Insufficient land has been acquired to complete the site and negotiations continue with private landowners to secure the necessary land. (Given the recent SCOTUS decision concerning eminent domain, I hope the "negotiations" remain friendly.) The site is several miles north of Hwy 96 and the (ironically named) town of Chivington. It is at this location that the placard can be found. (At the intersection of Hwys 287 and 96, a small placard is in place that indicates that the site is a "work in progress" and essentially encourages people to stay away...) The actual site is unmarked and rather difficult to discern from the road. It's little more than a bend in a dry creek sitting across a planted field. It's visible – barely – here. Given the wording of the placard, it appears the government's "spin" on this incident adheres to the accepted truth. A welcome sign, no pun intended...
While I was meandering around this area, I met an old infantryman (his words) named Ralph. Ralph is a retired attorney from Topeka and a fellow history buff. He was a real character, prattling-on endlessly about various bits of history relating to eastern CO and western KS. He saw action in WWII as part of the 70th Infantry Division, a division that received three battle stars. He was an entertaining old codger and I could have listened to his stories all day. Regretfully, I had a schedule to keep so we said our goodbyes and I went on my way.
Waco
Chronologically, the Waco tragedy occurred after the incident at Ruby Ridge but my planned route put me in Texas first. The site was easy to find; maps showing the location of Mt Carmel complex can be found in various books covering the Waco incident. (NB: the maps show a road CR 216-A, which is labeled as "Boys Ranch Road" when approached from Hwy 84. The remaining roads leading to the complex are correctly labeled.) All that remains of the original Mt Carmel are a few underground structures, the buried schoolbus, the concrete foundations, and the swimming pool. With the help of friends, the surviving Branch Davidians rebuilt the chapel on the exact spot of the original. A modest trailer home has been provided for the current Branch leader and a small, one-room visitor's center has been built. It doubles as a museum, replete with memorabilia and various pieces of released trial evidence. There are even some of the FBI's "trophy photos" that show agents in victory poses with the complex burning in the background.
Trees have been planted in honor of each Davidian killed in the two assaults on the complex. Under each tree is a small memorial naming the person for whom the tree was planted. Here is David Koresh's memorial. The Davidians even went so far as to place a memorial for the four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) agents killed in the first assault. That was a humbling sight for me. I'm not sure I could be that forgiving. It was explained to me that the Davidians harbored no ill will towards the agents themselves, only towards those who sent them.
My tour guide was a gentleman named Ron. He is not a Davidian but someone so outraged by the tragedy that he chose to volunteer to the group as a way to channel his frustrations. He was extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer all of my questions. At no point did I feel I was being preached to. Ron walked me thru the complex, pointing out the various remnants, and gave me a quick peek inside the chapel. He indicated that there are only about eight Davidians still living on the property with another handful living in town. Ron introduced me to Clive Doyle who is currently the lead minister at Mt Carmel. Clive was a survivor of both assaults and was one of only three Davidians acquitted in the trial. His daughter was killed in the fire resulting from the final FBI tank assault.
Being on the property gave me the sensation of walking on hallowed ground. It was here, just over a decade ago, that a group of desperate people attempted to hold off a government that could in no way abide anyone or anything opposing its authority. It was a futile struggle since there was no logic or reason to be found in either party. Both sides believed they had a mandate and both sides stubbornly adhered to their beliefs. Eventually, the government was going to – and did – get its way, at the expense of 82 civilian lives. My reaction to all this was three simple words: "What a waste..."
Medina
I never made it Medina so I have nothing to report. Sorry...
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge is a long sloping ridge of mountains that descends towards the tiny town of Naples, ID. In reality the Weaver cabin was not on Ruby Ridge!! There are a series of ridges in this area that run east/west, each named after the creek to its immediate north. Just north of Ruby Ridge is another named Caribou Ridge. Caribou Ridge is bracketed by Ruby Creek to the south and by [wait for it....] Caribou Creek to the north. Caribou Ridge is where the standoff between the Weaver family and various agencies of the Federal government took place. The media, in its infinite willingness to pursue the truth, must have assumed that the name Ruby Ridge would stick with Americans better than Caribou Ridge. Who knows...
Caribou Ridge is relatively easy to find if you're willing to follow the clues provided by various authors. (Which I wasn't, since I spent two hours driving around Ruby Ridge only to find nothing...) Once I got my sh!t wired straight, I made my way back to old Hwy 2 and then onto CR 12. Suddenly things started to make sense. For about two miles. Then I came face-to-face with that wonderful American tradition of Private Property. The county roads in this area make their way only so far into the woods, then they become the property of logging companies (I assume) or of individuals.
Such was my fate as I followed CR 12 to its terminus and stared blankly into a sign stating "Private Road – No Trespassing". Oof dah!!... I was afraid that might happen. I knew that, standing where I was, in the middle of a clearing that had been nicknamed "Federal Way" during the siege, I was less than one mile from the cabin site. Ouch!! What to do, what to do?? I thought about playing Sneaky Pete and just driving on. If you look like you know exactly what you're doing, most people won't question your actions. El Puerqo Grande is by no means your average tourist's vehicle and could easily pass for one of the ubiquitous construction, logging, or contracting vehicles that rumble along these back roads. But I had two strikes against me: I had CO plates and I didn't know exactly in which direction to go next. On top of that, history has shown that this is "shoot first, ask questions later" country and I wasn't about to start a gunfight with anybody. But it was so tempting with Caribou Ridge right there!! Somewhere just ahead of me was the Weaver cabin site. So close, yet so far.
So, with some guilt about even considering the Sneaky Pete plan, I chose to honor that private property sign and not trudge onward. I stood in front of the truck, in the middle of the road, for more minutes than I care to recall, hoping that somebody from one of the adjacent houses would come out and ask me what the hell I was doing there or tell me to go away. I was hoping to secure permission to continue, but no such luck. Nobody appeared. In fact, it was so quiet up there one could hear a fish fart. Unlike the survivors at Waco, these people don't want to discuss the Weavers. They don't want to recall what happened. They don't want pasty white Coloradans snooping around their isolated homesteads. So, respecting those wishes, I carefully executed EPG thru a tiresome nine-point turn-around and headed home. On the way out, I saw this. No doubt a result of the Ruby Ridge confrontation.
Granby
No luck here, either. The town was quick to repair the damage done by Marvin Heemeyer and there was no visible sign that anything had happened. I did manage to spot what appeared to be a cement plant but, without more details, I could not ascertain any clues as to what damage was inflicted and where.
So, that was my "Us vs. Them" tour. During the many miles I had to cover for this endeavor, I had more than enough time to consider these events and the actors who played their roles in these deadly confrontations. I wanted to find a common thread that led to these disasters and I think I found a few.
First, I believe that there was a concerted effort on the part of the Federal government – with the assistance of a complicit media – to characterize these disenfranchised people in the worst possible ways. Religious cultists. Extremists. Child molesters. Racists. Fanatics. Gun nuts. Once these images were established in the minds of Americans, the Feds were able to act with near impunity. Those that saw thru such tactics and protested were similarly labeled and demonized.
I don't hold the beliefs of Randy Weaver or David Koresh. But then again, defining exactly what those beliefs were is a non-trivial task. The "distortion engines" where at full throttle at all times before, during, and after these regrettable incidents. I wasn't there to witness Koresh molesting children or converting AR-15s to full-auto. I wasn't there to see Weaver giving "sieg heils" at Aryan Nation rallies. Both claim they did none of that. The Feds claim they did. Who do you believe?? Both sides stand to benefit from lying. Koresh and Weaver were willing to die for what they perceived to be the truth. A criminal may be willing to die to avoid capture but, prior to their run-ins with the Feds, neither Weaver nor Koresh were criminals. Yet they were willing to die for what they believed was their innocence. Perhaps they wanted to die as a martyr's ultimate rejection of his lie-filled dossier. That's much different than a car thief shooting it out with the cops.
Second, the Federal government has shown surprising harshness as it deals with those who question its authority. Some of the severest sentences handed out in court today are for supposed crimes against the State. Victims of murder, rape, and kidnapping would consider themselves fortunate to see their assailants similarly punished. On top of that, the Feds cannot accept the notion that an individual might actually perceive a need to defend himself against the actions of the State. But the government is not infallible. It has shown countless times that it is capable of mistakes – sometimes, deadly mistakes. There are going to be incidents where Joe Citizen is going to be compelled to react – maybe even violently – to actions against him. In my mind, this is a perfect opportunity for the Feds to take a step back and re-evaluate their options.
Some of you may be saying, "Well, that's what the courtroom is for." Perhaps. But consider the damage done to an individual or family when the Feds drag them thru the court system. The government has essentially unlimited time and funds to prosecute. Defendants rarely have such luxury. A simple dispute with the Feds can take years out of a person's life before it's resolved. Not to mention the certain bankrupting due to legal costs. This is all possible even if the person is completely innocent. And the Feds have no "loser pays" program. I'm not saying that disputes need to be resolved with gunfire. Certainly not!! But when the Feds see someone so adamant about the their innocence, so willing to challenge their accusers, maybe they should take a deep breath and hear the guy out. Maybe there was a clerical error. Maybe the informant did lie. Maybe he does own that firearm legally. The Feds need to spend more time giving Joe Citizen the benefit of the doubt.
The zeal with which the Feds went after Koresh and Weaver was inexcusable. Neither had previous criminal records and, until pushed, neither had shown a propensity for violence. (Well, that wasn't entirely true in Koresh's case...) Granted, both men had "out there" ideas and confrontational personalities – key ingredients for volatility. But did what these two men do – or should I say, were accused of doing – warrant the overwhelming, pull-no-punches response from the Feds?? I think not. At both Waco and Ruby Ridge, the Feds had the luxury of limitless patience and restraint. In neither case did they choose to exercise it. In fairness to the tragedies, I should add that it's my opinion that Koresh made serious errors in judgement and could have ended the Mt Carmel siege without further loss of life. Many people trusted him to "do the right thing" and they were failed. Had he surrendered, I can only hope that the FBI would have held up their end of the bargain.
(Before I'm accused of promoting lackadaisical law enforcement, let me say that I have no problem with the zealous pursuit, apprehension, and prosecution of real criminals. And by "real", I mean those that have committed malum in se crimes. Additionally, if one of these "real" BGs produces a weapon in the presence of LEOs and his intent is to do harm, may the Boys in Blue promptly send him to meet his maker. Good riddance. And, if asked to do so, I’ll back up that statement in the jury box. But Weaver and Koresh were accused of malum prohibitum crimes – from which there were no victims – that in no way justified the magnitude of force used against them. That statement is doubly true when you consider that fact that the Feds were mostly unable to produce evidence in trial to support their cases.)
And, finally, I think the system of internal reviews and punishment within Federal law enforcement is – or at least was – sorely lacking. Friends reviewing friends. Supervisors wary of knocking an agent off the fast track. Internal memos and withholding of after-action reports. None of these things promote accountability and Constitutional behavior. Independent, third-party review is a must in cases such as these. And it needs to be done quickly before the "blame throwers" get fired-up and agencies hustle to get their stories straight. Inter-agency review is helpful but, due to "cross-breeding", cannot be relied upon to fully expose breakdowns in the system. Additionally, thorough investigations need to be made into the accusations of entrapment and evidence tampering/fabrication. If violations are found, harsh punishment should quickly follow.
And speaking of reviews, I personally think that justice has yet to be served in the cases of Waco and Ruby Ridge. For starters, I believe a fine-tooth-comb investigation needs to be made in both situations to determine Who Shot First. I think the people close to these events – on both sides – need this answer, even if it's not what they want to hear. If the Feds want to be zealous about something, be zealous about answering that question to everyone's satisfaction. I kinda' don't care what it costs to find the answer, either. We waste a lot of tax money on more trivial nonsense than that. Getting satisfaction on this issue is worth a ton of $$$ in my view. Full pardons for the Branch Davidians still in jail as a result of their monkey trial need to happen. And soon.
The real "chain of approval" for the rules of engagement (ROE) for Ruby Ridge needs to be found and the perpetrators drummed out of service. Maybe even prosecuted. Some of the agents on the ground protested the ROE but not all of the agents. I'm thinking a good, solid refresher course in Constitutional Law is in order for all Federal LEOs. And no grading on a curve. Pass/fail only. Former presidential candidate Michael Badnarik or Texas Congressman Ron Paul would probably be delighted to compile material for the courses. (In the FBI's defense – and such a small defense it is – they did bat cleanup in both cases: the US Marshals Service dropping the ball at Ruby Ridge and the BATF initiating the Charles Foxtrot at Waco. But their "showing up late" doesn't absolve the FBI in either case.)
I don’t believe the book on Ruby Ridge will be closed until FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi de-planes in Boise, surrenders to the Idaho State Attorney General, and submits to prosecution for the murder of Vicki Weaver. His actions were malicious, unprofessional, and wholly un-Constitutional. Supremacy clause be damned!! He can claim all week long that he was just doing his job. BS!! That was the same defense used at Nuremberg and it holds the same amount of water.
Thanx for listening,
TCM
As you may have deduced from my notes in Part 1, my trip's theme was "Us vs. Them". My goal was to visit the location of some major – and not so major – conflicts between American citizens and their government. The common threads in these conflicts were (1) a sweeping distrust of the government on the part of the involved civilians, (2) an overreaction to that distrust on the part of one or both parties, and (3) the ensuing death/massacre as a result of that overreaction. I chose five locations to visit:
Sand Creek, CO, location of an encampment of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians;
Waco, TX, site of the Branch Davidian complex named Mt Carmel;
Medina, ND, location of a deadly confrontation with tax protestor Gordon Kahl;
Naples, ID, nearest town to Ruby Ridge;
Granby, CO, town partially bulldozed as a result of a zoning dispute.
While many people will recognize these names and incidents, some may not. I won't go into detail about what happened in each case so here are some links to more information. (NB: there are obvious "extremes" in a few of these articles. Read with appropriate BS filters as needed…)
Sand Creek
Sand Creek
Waco (an excellent book, by the way)
Medina (lots of embedded sub-links here...)
Medina
Medina
Ruby Ridge (another excellent book, with an objective approach even!!)
Ruby Ridge
Granby
Sand Creek
As the placard explains, the massacre of these peaceful Indians was unprovoked. The Army misdirected its efforts to stem violence directed towards white settlers by attacking the wrong encampment. While investigative resources of the day were sorely lacking, certainly a little research on the part of the Colorado Territorial Government could have prevented this disaster. Accusations that Colonel Chivington blatantly disregarded orders remain to this day.
As of Nov 2000, the site has been officially designated a National Historical Site. Insufficient land has been acquired to complete the site and negotiations continue with private landowners to secure the necessary land. (Given the recent SCOTUS decision concerning eminent domain, I hope the "negotiations" remain friendly.) The site is several miles north of Hwy 96 and the (ironically named) town of Chivington. It is at this location that the placard can be found. (At the intersection of Hwys 287 and 96, a small placard is in place that indicates that the site is a "work in progress" and essentially encourages people to stay away...) The actual site is unmarked and rather difficult to discern from the road. It's little more than a bend in a dry creek sitting across a planted field. It's visible – barely – here. Given the wording of the placard, it appears the government's "spin" on this incident adheres to the accepted truth. A welcome sign, no pun intended...
While I was meandering around this area, I met an old infantryman (his words) named Ralph. Ralph is a retired attorney from Topeka and a fellow history buff. He was a real character, prattling-on endlessly about various bits of history relating to eastern CO and western KS. He saw action in WWII as part of the 70th Infantry Division, a division that received three battle stars. He was an entertaining old codger and I could have listened to his stories all day. Regretfully, I had a schedule to keep so we said our goodbyes and I went on my way.
Waco
Chronologically, the Waco tragedy occurred after the incident at Ruby Ridge but my planned route put me in Texas first. The site was easy to find; maps showing the location of Mt Carmel complex can be found in various books covering the Waco incident. (NB: the maps show a road CR 216-A, which is labeled as "Boys Ranch Road" when approached from Hwy 84. The remaining roads leading to the complex are correctly labeled.) All that remains of the original Mt Carmel are a few underground structures, the buried schoolbus, the concrete foundations, and the swimming pool. With the help of friends, the surviving Branch Davidians rebuilt the chapel on the exact spot of the original. A modest trailer home has been provided for the current Branch leader and a small, one-room visitor's center has been built. It doubles as a museum, replete with memorabilia and various pieces of released trial evidence. There are even some of the FBI's "trophy photos" that show agents in victory poses with the complex burning in the background.
Trees have been planted in honor of each Davidian killed in the two assaults on the complex. Under each tree is a small memorial naming the person for whom the tree was planted. Here is David Koresh's memorial. The Davidians even went so far as to place a memorial for the four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) agents killed in the first assault. That was a humbling sight for me. I'm not sure I could be that forgiving. It was explained to me that the Davidians harbored no ill will towards the agents themselves, only towards those who sent them.
My tour guide was a gentleman named Ron. He is not a Davidian but someone so outraged by the tragedy that he chose to volunteer to the group as a way to channel his frustrations. He was extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer all of my questions. At no point did I feel I was being preached to. Ron walked me thru the complex, pointing out the various remnants, and gave me a quick peek inside the chapel. He indicated that there are only about eight Davidians still living on the property with another handful living in town. Ron introduced me to Clive Doyle who is currently the lead minister at Mt Carmel. Clive was a survivor of both assaults and was one of only three Davidians acquitted in the trial. His daughter was killed in the fire resulting from the final FBI tank assault.
Being on the property gave me the sensation of walking on hallowed ground. It was here, just over a decade ago, that a group of desperate people attempted to hold off a government that could in no way abide anyone or anything opposing its authority. It was a futile struggle since there was no logic or reason to be found in either party. Both sides believed they had a mandate and both sides stubbornly adhered to their beliefs. Eventually, the government was going to – and did – get its way, at the expense of 82 civilian lives. My reaction to all this was three simple words: "What a waste..."
Medina
I never made it Medina so I have nothing to report. Sorry...
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge is a long sloping ridge of mountains that descends towards the tiny town of Naples, ID. In reality the Weaver cabin was not on Ruby Ridge!! There are a series of ridges in this area that run east/west, each named after the creek to its immediate north. Just north of Ruby Ridge is another named Caribou Ridge. Caribou Ridge is bracketed by Ruby Creek to the south and by [wait for it....] Caribou Creek to the north. Caribou Ridge is where the standoff between the Weaver family and various agencies of the Federal government took place. The media, in its infinite willingness to pursue the truth, must have assumed that the name Ruby Ridge would stick with Americans better than Caribou Ridge. Who knows...
Caribou Ridge is relatively easy to find if you're willing to follow the clues provided by various authors. (Which I wasn't, since I spent two hours driving around Ruby Ridge only to find nothing...) Once I got my sh!t wired straight, I made my way back to old Hwy 2 and then onto CR 12. Suddenly things started to make sense. For about two miles. Then I came face-to-face with that wonderful American tradition of Private Property. The county roads in this area make their way only so far into the woods, then they become the property of logging companies (I assume) or of individuals.
Such was my fate as I followed CR 12 to its terminus and stared blankly into a sign stating "Private Road – No Trespassing". Oof dah!!... I was afraid that might happen. I knew that, standing where I was, in the middle of a clearing that had been nicknamed "Federal Way" during the siege, I was less than one mile from the cabin site. Ouch!! What to do, what to do?? I thought about playing Sneaky Pete and just driving on. If you look like you know exactly what you're doing, most people won't question your actions. El Puerqo Grande is by no means your average tourist's vehicle and could easily pass for one of the ubiquitous construction, logging, or contracting vehicles that rumble along these back roads. But I had two strikes against me: I had CO plates and I didn't know exactly in which direction to go next. On top of that, history has shown that this is "shoot first, ask questions later" country and I wasn't about to start a gunfight with anybody. But it was so tempting with Caribou Ridge right there!! Somewhere just ahead of me was the Weaver cabin site. So close, yet so far.
So, with some guilt about even considering the Sneaky Pete plan, I chose to honor that private property sign and not trudge onward. I stood in front of the truck, in the middle of the road, for more minutes than I care to recall, hoping that somebody from one of the adjacent houses would come out and ask me what the hell I was doing there or tell me to go away. I was hoping to secure permission to continue, but no such luck. Nobody appeared. In fact, it was so quiet up there one could hear a fish fart. Unlike the survivors at Waco, these people don't want to discuss the Weavers. They don't want to recall what happened. They don't want pasty white Coloradans snooping around their isolated homesteads. So, respecting those wishes, I carefully executed EPG thru a tiresome nine-point turn-around and headed home. On the way out, I saw this. No doubt a result of the Ruby Ridge confrontation.
Granby
No luck here, either. The town was quick to repair the damage done by Marvin Heemeyer and there was no visible sign that anything had happened. I did manage to spot what appeared to be a cement plant but, without more details, I could not ascertain any clues as to what damage was inflicted and where.
So, that was my "Us vs. Them" tour. During the many miles I had to cover for this endeavor, I had more than enough time to consider these events and the actors who played their roles in these deadly confrontations. I wanted to find a common thread that led to these disasters and I think I found a few.
First, I believe that there was a concerted effort on the part of the Federal government – with the assistance of a complicit media – to characterize these disenfranchised people in the worst possible ways. Religious cultists. Extremists. Child molesters. Racists. Fanatics. Gun nuts. Once these images were established in the minds of Americans, the Feds were able to act with near impunity. Those that saw thru such tactics and protested were similarly labeled and demonized.
I don't hold the beliefs of Randy Weaver or David Koresh. But then again, defining exactly what those beliefs were is a non-trivial task. The "distortion engines" where at full throttle at all times before, during, and after these regrettable incidents. I wasn't there to witness Koresh molesting children or converting AR-15s to full-auto. I wasn't there to see Weaver giving "sieg heils" at Aryan Nation rallies. Both claim they did none of that. The Feds claim they did. Who do you believe?? Both sides stand to benefit from lying. Koresh and Weaver were willing to die for what they perceived to be the truth. A criminal may be willing to die to avoid capture but, prior to their run-ins with the Feds, neither Weaver nor Koresh were criminals. Yet they were willing to die for what they believed was their innocence. Perhaps they wanted to die as a martyr's ultimate rejection of his lie-filled dossier. That's much different than a car thief shooting it out with the cops.
Second, the Federal government has shown surprising harshness as it deals with those who question its authority. Some of the severest sentences handed out in court today are for supposed crimes against the State. Victims of murder, rape, and kidnapping would consider themselves fortunate to see their assailants similarly punished. On top of that, the Feds cannot accept the notion that an individual might actually perceive a need to defend himself against the actions of the State. But the government is not infallible. It has shown countless times that it is capable of mistakes – sometimes, deadly mistakes. There are going to be incidents where Joe Citizen is going to be compelled to react – maybe even violently – to actions against him. In my mind, this is a perfect opportunity for the Feds to take a step back and re-evaluate their options.
Some of you may be saying, "Well, that's what the courtroom is for." Perhaps. But consider the damage done to an individual or family when the Feds drag them thru the court system. The government has essentially unlimited time and funds to prosecute. Defendants rarely have such luxury. A simple dispute with the Feds can take years out of a person's life before it's resolved. Not to mention the certain bankrupting due to legal costs. This is all possible even if the person is completely innocent. And the Feds have no "loser pays" program. I'm not saying that disputes need to be resolved with gunfire. Certainly not!! But when the Feds see someone so adamant about the their innocence, so willing to challenge their accusers, maybe they should take a deep breath and hear the guy out. Maybe there was a clerical error. Maybe the informant did lie. Maybe he does own that firearm legally. The Feds need to spend more time giving Joe Citizen the benefit of the doubt.
The zeal with which the Feds went after Koresh and Weaver was inexcusable. Neither had previous criminal records and, until pushed, neither had shown a propensity for violence. (Well, that wasn't entirely true in Koresh's case...) Granted, both men had "out there" ideas and confrontational personalities – key ingredients for volatility. But did what these two men do – or should I say, were accused of doing – warrant the overwhelming, pull-no-punches response from the Feds?? I think not. At both Waco and Ruby Ridge, the Feds had the luxury of limitless patience and restraint. In neither case did they choose to exercise it. In fairness to the tragedies, I should add that it's my opinion that Koresh made serious errors in judgement and could have ended the Mt Carmel siege without further loss of life. Many people trusted him to "do the right thing" and they were failed. Had he surrendered, I can only hope that the FBI would have held up their end of the bargain.
(Before I'm accused of promoting lackadaisical law enforcement, let me say that I have no problem with the zealous pursuit, apprehension, and prosecution of real criminals. And by "real", I mean those that have committed malum in se crimes. Additionally, if one of these "real" BGs produces a weapon in the presence of LEOs and his intent is to do harm, may the Boys in Blue promptly send him to meet his maker. Good riddance. And, if asked to do so, I’ll back up that statement in the jury box. But Weaver and Koresh were accused of malum prohibitum crimes – from which there were no victims – that in no way justified the magnitude of force used against them. That statement is doubly true when you consider that fact that the Feds were mostly unable to produce evidence in trial to support their cases.)
And, finally, I think the system of internal reviews and punishment within Federal law enforcement is – or at least was – sorely lacking. Friends reviewing friends. Supervisors wary of knocking an agent off the fast track. Internal memos and withholding of after-action reports. None of these things promote accountability and Constitutional behavior. Independent, third-party review is a must in cases such as these. And it needs to be done quickly before the "blame throwers" get fired-up and agencies hustle to get their stories straight. Inter-agency review is helpful but, due to "cross-breeding", cannot be relied upon to fully expose breakdowns in the system. Additionally, thorough investigations need to be made into the accusations of entrapment and evidence tampering/fabrication. If violations are found, harsh punishment should quickly follow.
And speaking of reviews, I personally think that justice has yet to be served in the cases of Waco and Ruby Ridge. For starters, I believe a fine-tooth-comb investigation needs to be made in both situations to determine Who Shot First. I think the people close to these events – on both sides – need this answer, even if it's not what they want to hear. If the Feds want to be zealous about something, be zealous about answering that question to everyone's satisfaction. I kinda' don't care what it costs to find the answer, either. We waste a lot of tax money on more trivial nonsense than that. Getting satisfaction on this issue is worth a ton of $$$ in my view. Full pardons for the Branch Davidians still in jail as a result of their monkey trial need to happen. And soon.
The real "chain of approval" for the rules of engagement (ROE) for Ruby Ridge needs to be found and the perpetrators drummed out of service. Maybe even prosecuted. Some of the agents on the ground protested the ROE but not all of the agents. I'm thinking a good, solid refresher course in Constitutional Law is in order for all Federal LEOs. And no grading on a curve. Pass/fail only. Former presidential candidate Michael Badnarik or Texas Congressman Ron Paul would probably be delighted to compile material for the courses. (In the FBI's defense – and such a small defense it is – they did bat cleanup in both cases: the US Marshals Service dropping the ball at Ruby Ridge and the BATF initiating the Charles Foxtrot at Waco. But their "showing up late" doesn't absolve the FBI in either case.)
I don’t believe the book on Ruby Ridge will be closed until FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi de-planes in Boise, surrenders to the Idaho State Attorney General, and submits to prosecution for the murder of Vicki Weaver. His actions were malicious, unprofessional, and wholly un-Constitutional. Supremacy clause be damned!! He can claim all week long that he was just doing his job. BS!! That was the same defense used at Nuremberg and it holds the same amount of water.
Thanx for listening,
TCM
20050716
What I did on my summer vacation, Part 1
Hi all! It's The Cabinet Man again. I know it's been a while...
A bit of background first. Every year I take off on my motorcycle for a little adventure. Each trip has a theme and includes as many sights/destinations as possible that fit into that theme. When I lived in Maryland, these trips were typically three weeks in length, as I needed to spend 1/17th of my life outside of the state in order to stay sane. However, my most recent trip was only one week since I now live in my most popular destination, Colorado. At the culmination of each trip I write-up a trip report and e-mail it to all of my friends and family that care. (All three of them...) I'm going to post this year's report on Fuz's blog. "Why?," you ask. Well, that'll make more sense in the next posting. Bear with me for now.
This year's trip started on two wheels and ended on four. This was the first major trip for my (relatively) new Suzuki V-Strom 650, nicknamed the Black Mantis. (Because, from the front, it looks like a praying mantis head. Come'on, use your imagination!!...) I'd had the machine out before -- a day-trip here, a weekend there -- but never anything this Herculean. The plan was to cover 4500 miles in 8-1/2 days. Well, men plan and God laughs. The Zook was eating me alive from the ass up!! As much as I enjoy riding motorcycles, I'm one of those unfortunate boney-butted souls that never really gets comfortable in the saddle. With the addition of an arthritic (throttle-side) wrist, my favorite pastime is a labor of love.
Well, there was little love on this trip. In a sense, as a motorcycle endeavor, it was doomed from the start. It was hastily planned at the last minute. I violated my cardinal rule of limiting daily mileage to 450 miles. I set out for parts South in mid-July. I only performed a cursory pre-trip mech-prep of the scooter. I was a Bad Man -- and I paid for it.
The trip started out OK, as any trip -- good or bad -- typically does. But by the second day, I was starting to get uncomfortable. Un-recoverably uncomfortable. My usual "two laps around the rest area" walk wasn't working out the saddle sores. My Throttlemeister wasn't adjusted properly and wouldn't hold tension on the throttle. My wrist was in agony. I had planned to saw three inches off the top of my windscreen but I never got around to it. Because of this, the airflow inside my helmet was insufficient, forcing me to crack open the faceshield to the first notch. This resulted in noisy buffeting that brought on headaches. Hack!! Add to that a lingering knee injury and The MysteryBack Spasms and this was no longer fun.
By the third day, I was miserable. My butt lasted less than one hour that morning and the whole day was spent trying to find various positions to releave the pressure on the sit-bones. It was futile, as every solution eventually became a new problem. My goal for the day was Wichita, KS, but by the time I rolled into Oklahoma City, I was ready to call it quits. I still had over 160 miles remaining for the day andI made it by sheer will. When I finally got to Wichita, I was exhausted. I decided to skip ND, head back to the Springs, and swap the Black Mantis for El Puerqo Grande.
Ah, yes, El Puerqo Grande (which loosely translates to "The Big Pig") -- EPG for short. I have a love/hate relationship with this vehicle. EPG is a Ford F-350 Super Duty 4x4 "long bed" with a 6.8L V-10 engine. At 5500 pounds and with the aerodynamics of a barn, I probably don't need to tell you that it just loves its gasoline!! It has the turning radius of a ballistic missile submarine and the grace of a rodeo-prepped brahma bull. I dropped a topper on it a few years back and and within that I built a platform upon which I can toss an air mattress and -- given level ground and reasonable quiet -- get a pretty good night's sleep. It's awfully damned handy for the few things I use it. The rest of the time (which means "most of the time") it guards my driveway.
So now it's EPG to the rescue!! Back home at the end of a painful day four, I gear-up the truck, hit the sack early, and I'm off at sunrise the next day. I'm home less than 12 hours. The rest of the trip thru CO, WY, ID, and MT is physically and mechanically uneventful. Compared to the motorcycle portion of the trip, I was in relative luxury: CDs to listen to, a cooler at my side full of snacks and sodas, no tent to setup/tear-down, and travel attire more suitable to the summer temps. I even fired up the A/C a few times. (I'm so ashamed...)
The astute reader will have by now discovered that I've left out a great amount of detail about this trip. This was intentional. I will focus on that in my next post. In the meantime, to satisfy your curiosity,I've included the ever-anticipated Minutiae portion of the trip report. Check back soon for part two. Until then...
TCM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Trip: July 2005
Theme: "Us vs. Them"
Primary objectives:
Sand Creek, CO
Waco, TX
Medina, ND
Naples, ID
Granby, CO
(Figured out the theme yet?)
Miles Traveled:
4602
By motorcycle: 1945
By 4-wheeled box: 2657
Average miles per day: 613.6
Best tank of gas:
By motorcycle: 46.9 mpg
By 4-wheeled box: 15.6 mpg
Worst tank of gas:
By motorcycle: 41.5 mpg
By 4-wheeled box: 12.6 mpg
Best driving CDs I brought along:
"Mezmerize", System of a Down
"Dream Police", Cheap Trick
"Fuckin A", The Thermals
"Spend the Night", The Donnas
and it goes without saying:
"Back in Black", AC/DC
Not the best CD choices (not that they're bad CDs, just not good drivingCDs):
"Gala", Lush
"The Joy of Sing-Sing", Sing-Sing
"Strange Times", The Chameleons UK
Best Roads:
1) Hwy 135 in western MT, between I-90 and Hwy 200
2) Hwy 56 in western MT, between Hwy 200 and Hwy 2
(Both of these roads made me regret leaving the scooter at home. High-speed, easy-lean canyon carving at its finest and no John Q. Law to be seen anywhere!! Be careful taking-in the scenery while driving -- it's easy to end up in the river...)
Honorable mention:
1) I-15 from the Dubois, ID to Butte, MT.
(That barren mountain, big-sky panorama isn't for everyone but I love it!!)
2) I-90 between Coeur d'Alene, ID and Missoula, MT.
(Wonderful twisty interstate stuff not well-suited to EPG at 75 MPH. Once again making me wish I'd had the V-Strom.)
Worst Roads:
1) Hwy 95 between Sand Point and Coeur d'Alene, ID
(The traffic in both of those towns was intolerable and in between was fifty miles of teeth-gnashing, two-lane car-artery clogged with inattentive drivers. Most of the guilty sported WA license plates but enough had ID plates that the culpability has to shared. If there was ever a road that screamed to be "nuked for level and paved for interstate", Hwy 95 is it!!)
2) Our very own I-25.
(Traffic moved pretty fast approaching Denver from the north but it was a dense 200-car pile-up in waiting. I took the E-470 bypass around Denver -- which cost me $8.50 spread across five tollbooths -- since Maryland sapped my lifetime's allotment of patience for stop-and-go traffic.)
Most Pleasant Surprises:
1) Lake Brownwood State Park, TX
2) A little no-name, mom-and-pop campground in Livingston, MT
(I had planned to stay in town at a to-remain-unnamed nationwide chain of "economy lodging" -- wink, wink, nudge, nudge -- but changed my mind upon being quoted the price of the room. Sitting down?? $85!! I 'bout shat myself. As I left in disgust, I noticed this little CG behind the aforementioned "economy lodging". I pulled in, described what I needed -- a shower and level ground -- and paid my $10 pittance. Clean, quiet, and I slept like a baby in the back of EPG. Sooooooo, big unnamed nationwide chain of "economy lodging", ..... bite me!!)
Least Pleasant Surprises:
1) Lake Pend Oreille, ID (yawn...)
2) Spending $77 to fill-up EPG in Montana. Hack!!
Kill Ratio:
0 for 0
(First trip w/o a critter fatality. Although, there was a grouse in ID that waited until the very last inch -- and I'm not kidding about that!! -- before moving out of the path of EPG's front tire. Granted, I was "4-wheeling" and only moving about 1.3 mph but that was one brave -- or stupid -- bird!!)
Cool Stuff I Saw:
1) The biggest fookin' surplus store I've ever seen, Idaho Falls, ID
(I dropped $125 before I got past the third row of goodies!! In an effort to hold onto enough $$$ to get home, I parked the shopping cart and walked the rest of the store with my hands in my pockets.)
2) Low-budget playground south of Casper, WY
(The playground consisted of nothing but 55-gallon drums and those huge cable spools. Whoever designed this thing was a genius!! I'm sure the surplus drums and spools were donated. Cost to the town was probably little more than a half-dozen boxes of welding rods and three 5-gallon buckets of paint. The barrels were welded into all manner of odd-shaped, human-sized Habitrail concoctions. If I were 10 years old, I'd be having my way with that playground like Rosie O'Donnell at the mall food court!!
And just for the record, I was never 10 years old...)
3) Country political statements (1, 2, 3, and 4), east of Dodge City,KS
(There are almost a 1/4 mile of these. Some are rather elaborate. My camera didn't do justice to the visual.)
4) Wind generator farm, south of Lamar, CO
(There seemed to be a hundred of these things -- and the were HUGE!! I saw a semi-truck with just one of the propellor blades on it. It had to be over 50' long. That makes each tower post about +100' tall and the overall height greater than 150'...)
Worst Advertising:
Little America
(Oh, gag me!! Talk about stereotyping middle class America with the 4-door car payment and two blonde spawn!! A motel, a restaurant, and an automotive garage. Big whoop. You just described a town. Oh, and the Perfect Person mechanic holding that hugetool wrench in his hands?? Uh-huh. Yeah, that "symbolism" didn't get past me and probably not past the nation's bored housewives, either. Faux wholesomeness. Hack, spit...)
Best Advertising:
A ranch entrance, south of Cross Plains, TX.
('Nuff said...)
Breaking Up the Monotony:
1) Even when I'm not at work, I'm debugging Windows.
2) OK, picture the scene: somewhere in the middle of BF Wyoming, I'm stuck doing 35 MPH in a construction zone behind a Voortman's Cookies "box truck". We get back to two lanes and I whip around the rolling blindspot and punch it. Well, that NASCAR-wannabe ain't gonna' have none of that!! Mr Voortman floors the cookiemobile and the race is on. 40, 45, 50 MPH as we race up the hill, EPG's 10 cylinders of gas-guzzling, axle-twisting torque against his Chevy Whatever. 55, 60, 65 MPH and we're still neck-and-neck. 'Cept cookie man's not paying attention and damn near rear-ends the grain truck I strategically place in front of him as a blocker. He nails the brakes and after a total of ninety heart-stopping seconds, I scream over the hilltop at a blinding 75 MPH. Face is saved, the stars re-align, and two vaporous gallons of partially burned liquid dinosaur are combusted, catalyzed, muffled, and exhausted into the atmosphere. Victory is mine!! Somebody get me a cigarette...
A bit of background first. Every year I take off on my motorcycle for a little adventure. Each trip has a theme and includes as many sights/destinations as possible that fit into that theme. When I lived in Maryland, these trips were typically three weeks in length, as I needed to spend 1/17th of my life outside of the state in order to stay sane. However, my most recent trip was only one week since I now live in my most popular destination, Colorado. At the culmination of each trip I write-up a trip report and e-mail it to all of my friends and family that care. (All three of them...) I'm going to post this year's report on Fuz's blog. "Why?," you ask. Well, that'll make more sense in the next posting. Bear with me for now.
This year's trip started on two wheels and ended on four. This was the first major trip for my (relatively) new Suzuki V-Strom 650, nicknamed the Black Mantis. (Because, from the front, it looks like a praying mantis head. Come'on, use your imagination!!...) I'd had the machine out before -- a day-trip here, a weekend there -- but never anything this Herculean. The plan was to cover 4500 miles in 8-1/2 days. Well, men plan and God laughs. The Zook was eating me alive from the ass up!! As much as I enjoy riding motorcycles, I'm one of those unfortunate boney-butted souls that never really gets comfortable in the saddle. With the addition of an arthritic (throttle-side) wrist, my favorite pastime is a labor of love.
Well, there was little love on this trip. In a sense, as a motorcycle endeavor, it was doomed from the start. It was hastily planned at the last minute. I violated my cardinal rule of limiting daily mileage to 450 miles. I set out for parts South in mid-July. I only performed a cursory pre-trip mech-prep of the scooter. I was a Bad Man -- and I paid for it.
The trip started out OK, as any trip -- good or bad -- typically does. But by the second day, I was starting to get uncomfortable. Un-recoverably uncomfortable. My usual "two laps around the rest area" walk wasn't working out the saddle sores. My Throttlemeister wasn't adjusted properly and wouldn't hold tension on the throttle. My wrist was in agony. I had planned to saw three inches off the top of my windscreen but I never got around to it. Because of this, the airflow inside my helmet was insufficient, forcing me to crack open the faceshield to the first notch. This resulted in noisy buffeting that brought on headaches. Hack!! Add to that a lingering knee injury and The MysteryBack Spasms and this was no longer fun.
By the third day, I was miserable. My butt lasted less than one hour that morning and the whole day was spent trying to find various positions to releave the pressure on the sit-bones. It was futile, as every solution eventually became a new problem. My goal for the day was Wichita, KS, but by the time I rolled into Oklahoma City, I was ready to call it quits. I still had over 160 miles remaining for the day andI made it by sheer will. When I finally got to Wichita, I was exhausted. I decided to skip ND, head back to the Springs, and swap the Black Mantis for El Puerqo Grande.
Ah, yes, El Puerqo Grande (which loosely translates to "The Big Pig") -- EPG for short. I have a love/hate relationship with this vehicle. EPG is a Ford F-350 Super Duty 4x4 "long bed" with a 6.8L V-10 engine. At 5500 pounds and with the aerodynamics of a barn, I probably don't need to tell you that it just loves its gasoline!! It has the turning radius of a ballistic missile submarine and the grace of a rodeo-prepped brahma bull. I dropped a topper on it a few years back and and within that I built a platform upon which I can toss an air mattress and -- given level ground and reasonable quiet -- get a pretty good night's sleep. It's awfully damned handy for the few things I use it. The rest of the time (which means "most of the time") it guards my driveway.
So now it's EPG to the rescue!! Back home at the end of a painful day four, I gear-up the truck, hit the sack early, and I'm off at sunrise the next day. I'm home less than 12 hours. The rest of the trip thru CO, WY, ID, and MT is physically and mechanically uneventful. Compared to the motorcycle portion of the trip, I was in relative luxury: CDs to listen to, a cooler at my side full of snacks and sodas, no tent to setup/tear-down, and travel attire more suitable to the summer temps. I even fired up the A/C a few times. (I'm so ashamed...)
The astute reader will have by now discovered that I've left out a great amount of detail about this trip. This was intentional. I will focus on that in my next post. In the meantime, to satisfy your curiosity,I've included the ever-anticipated Minutiae portion of the trip report. Check back soon for part two. Until then...
TCM
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Trip: July 2005
Theme: "Us vs. Them"
Primary objectives:
Sand Creek, CO
Waco, TX
Medina, ND
Naples, ID
Granby, CO
(Figured out the theme yet?)
Miles Traveled:
4602
By motorcycle: 1945
By 4-wheeled box: 2657
Average miles per day: 613.6
Best tank of gas:
By motorcycle: 46.9 mpg
By 4-wheeled box: 15.6 mpg
Worst tank of gas:
By motorcycle: 41.5 mpg
By 4-wheeled box: 12.6 mpg
Best driving CDs I brought along:
"Mezmerize", System of a Down
"Dream Police", Cheap Trick
"Fuckin A", The Thermals
"Spend the Night", The Donnas
and it goes without saying:
"Back in Black", AC/DC
Not the best CD choices (not that they're bad CDs, just not good drivingCDs):
"Gala", Lush
"The Joy of Sing-Sing", Sing-Sing
"Strange Times", The Chameleons UK
Best Roads:
1) Hwy 135 in western MT, between I-90 and Hwy 200
2) Hwy 56 in western MT, between Hwy 200 and Hwy 2
(Both of these roads made me regret leaving the scooter at home. High-speed, easy-lean canyon carving at its finest and no John Q. Law to be seen anywhere!! Be careful taking-in the scenery while driving -- it's easy to end up in the river...)
Honorable mention:
1) I-15 from the Dubois, ID to Butte, MT.
(That barren mountain, big-sky panorama isn't for everyone but I love it!!)
2) I-90 between Coeur d'Alene, ID and Missoula, MT.
(Wonderful twisty interstate stuff not well-suited to EPG at 75 MPH. Once again making me wish I'd had the V-Strom.)
Worst Roads:
1) Hwy 95 between Sand Point and Coeur d'Alene, ID
(The traffic in both of those towns was intolerable and in between was fifty miles of teeth-gnashing, two-lane car-artery clogged with inattentive drivers. Most of the guilty sported WA license plates but enough had ID plates that the culpability has to shared. If there was ever a road that screamed to be "nuked for level and paved for interstate", Hwy 95 is it!!)
2) Our very own I-25.
(Traffic moved pretty fast approaching Denver from the north but it was a dense 200-car pile-up in waiting. I took the E-470 bypass around Denver -- which cost me $8.50 spread across five tollbooths -- since Maryland sapped my lifetime's allotment of patience for stop-and-go traffic.)
Most Pleasant Surprises:
1) Lake Brownwood State Park, TX
2) A little no-name, mom-and-pop campground in Livingston, MT
(I had planned to stay in town at a to-remain-unnamed nationwide chain of "economy lodging" -- wink, wink, nudge, nudge -- but changed my mind upon being quoted the price of the room. Sitting down?? $85!! I 'bout shat myself. As I left in disgust, I noticed this little CG behind the aforementioned "economy lodging". I pulled in, described what I needed -- a shower and level ground -- and paid my $10 pittance. Clean, quiet, and I slept like a baby in the back of EPG. Sooooooo, big unnamed nationwide chain of "economy lodging", ..... bite me!!)
Least Pleasant Surprises:
1) Lake Pend Oreille, ID (yawn...)
2) Spending $77 to fill-up EPG in Montana. Hack!!
Kill Ratio:
0 for 0
(First trip w/o a critter fatality. Although, there was a grouse in ID that waited until the very last inch -- and I'm not kidding about that!! -- before moving out of the path of EPG's front tire. Granted, I was "4-wheeling" and only moving about 1.3 mph but that was one brave -- or stupid -- bird!!)
Cool Stuff I Saw:
1) The biggest fookin' surplus store I've ever seen, Idaho Falls, ID
(I dropped $125 before I got past the third row of goodies!! In an effort to hold onto enough $$$ to get home, I parked the shopping cart and walked the rest of the store with my hands in my pockets.)
2) Low-budget playground south of Casper, WY
(The playground consisted of nothing but 55-gallon drums and those huge cable spools. Whoever designed this thing was a genius!! I'm sure the surplus drums and spools were donated. Cost to the town was probably little more than a half-dozen boxes of welding rods and three 5-gallon buckets of paint. The barrels were welded into all manner of odd-shaped, human-sized Habitrail concoctions. If I were 10 years old, I'd be having my way with that playground like Rosie O'Donnell at the mall food court!!
And just for the record, I was never 10 years old...)
3) Country political statements (1, 2, 3, and 4), east of Dodge City,KS
(There are almost a 1/4 mile of these. Some are rather elaborate. My camera didn't do justice to the visual.)
4) Wind generator farm, south of Lamar, CO
(There seemed to be a hundred of these things -- and the were HUGE!! I saw a semi-truck with just one of the propellor blades on it. It had to be over 50' long. That makes each tower post about +100' tall and the overall height greater than 150'...)
Worst Advertising:
Little America
(Oh, gag me!! Talk about stereotyping middle class America with the 4-door car payment and two blonde spawn!! A motel, a restaurant, and an automotive garage. Big whoop. You just described a town. Oh, and the Perfect Person mechanic holding that huge
Best Advertising:
A ranch entrance, south of Cross Plains, TX.
('Nuff said...)
Breaking Up the Monotony:
1) Even when I'm not at work, I'm debugging Windows.
2) OK, picture the scene: somewhere in the middle of BF Wyoming, I'm stuck doing 35 MPH in a construction zone behind a Voortman's Cookies "box truck". We get back to two lanes and I whip around the rolling blindspot and punch it. Well, that NASCAR-wannabe ain't gonna' have none of that!! Mr Voortman floors the cookiemobile and the race is on. 40, 45, 50 MPH as we race up the hill, EPG's 10 cylinders of gas-guzzling, axle-twisting torque against his Chevy Whatever. 55, 60, 65 MPH and we're still neck-and-neck. 'Cept cookie man's not paying attention and damn near rear-ends the grain truck I strategically place in front of him as a blocker. He nails the brakes and after a total of ninety heart-stopping seconds, I scream over the hilltop at a blinding 75 MPH. Face is saved, the stars re-align, and two vaporous gallons of partially burned liquid dinosaur are combusted, catalyzed, muffled, and exhausted into the atmosphere. Victory is mine!! Somebody get me a cigarette...
20050713
20050712
QFTD
Even the encounter with the Yeti could have been true, if there were such things as Yetis.
William Merritt, Feb '04 Liberty, in a book review.
Not much to do on a Tuesday night in Cheyenne, is there, Fuz?
No there isn't. (txt function on Moto V265 continues to amaze)
Did I say V265 is awesome?
Upgrade path is clearer now. Next phone's text entry algorithm must include html tags.
Motorola V265: shweet! Voice
Motorola V265: shweet! Voice recognition leaves me slackjawed. Text entry very useful.
20050711
20050706
No on Gonzales for Supreme Court
Mr President, we want Alex Kozinski on the Supreme Court.
Alberto Gonzales is not acceptable for the seat being vacated by Justice O'Connor. We want Kozinski.
Y'all, please call or write the usual suspects.
Alberto Gonzales is not acceptable for the seat being vacated by Justice O'Connor. We want Kozinski.
Y'all, please call or write the usual suspects.
20050703
Male weepies
We begin a list of quotes from those few motion pictures that can make even a hairy, testosterone-addled guy like me tear over. Not Terms of Endearment, gentle reader, but movies with fireballs, guns and swords; movies you'll see on Spike.
This list is a work in progress, please suggest your favorites.
This list is a work in progress, please suggest your favorites.
- "Tell me I led a full life . . . Tell me I was a good man."
- "He was a soldier of Rome. Honor him." "Who will help me carry him?"
20050623
it's called copy editing or manuscript editing, I can't remember
It has been creeping up on my radar for years now. Even in respectable deadtree publications where people know better, such as American Spectator's print edition, I see the misuse of the apostrophe, or the confusion of rein with reign. It's the tip of an ugly and unnecessary iceberg.
Just now, as the straw that broke this fatigued blogger's back, I saw a whacked apostrophe in a post regarding Natalee Holloway's disappearance. But I see them everywhere, in places where they should not occur, where literate folk do not expect them, and frankly, in places where their authors can ill afford.
I can solve your problems. I know how to use the apostrophe. I compel subject and verb to agree in number. I have mastered the plural, the posessive, and the plural posessive. If I review your work, any risk that you will be revealed as a cad and poseur will arise solely from the quality of your ideas, not from your grammar, punctuation, or spelling.
Such insurance, bought cheaply, has built empires for the likes of the National Review, NYT, WaPo . . . yet have they fallen, as they neglected such insurance. So shall you rise, humble blogger, if you cross my palm with silver.
Those troublesome commas can also be brought into line, or into compliance with Strunk and White; if you haven't the time nor inclination to do it for yourself, let me do it. I might not have the time but my inclination is abundant. What remains is the matter of compensation.
Difficulty with homonyms? To, two, too? I can tell the difference so you don't have to.
Spelling? Three-times running spelling bee champion of Podunk, Pennsylvania. If I misspell something it's from fatfingering. The spelling rules are embedded so deeply I cannot consciously affect them. I have Miss Glossner, Miss Strayer, and Mrs McGill to thank, and so can you.
Effect versus affect? I've got you covered.
So think about it. If you want to enter the Big Leagues, you want to show the deadtree Media that you Are In Fact All That And A Box Of Chicken---that not only do you write but that you Are Edited---I am the lever with which you can move the world. You supply the place to stand.
Mind you, it has to be worth my while. I have to be maintained in the manner to which I am accustomed. After all, only a cad and poseur ends a sentence with a proposition.
Just now, as the straw that broke this fatigued blogger's back, I saw a whacked apostrophe in a post regarding Natalee Holloway's disappearance. But I see them everywhere, in places where they should not occur, where literate folk do not expect them, and frankly, in places where their authors can ill afford.
I can solve your problems. I know how to use the apostrophe. I compel subject and verb to agree in number. I have mastered the plural, the posessive, and the plural posessive. If I review your work, any risk that you will be revealed as a cad and poseur will arise solely from the quality of your ideas, not from your grammar, punctuation, or spelling.
Such insurance, bought cheaply, has built empires for the likes of the National Review, NYT, WaPo . . . yet have they fallen, as they neglected such insurance. So shall you rise, humble blogger, if you cross my palm with silver.
Those troublesome commas can also be brought into line, or into compliance with Strunk and White; if you haven't the time nor inclination to do it for yourself, let me do it. I might not have the time but my inclination is abundant. What remains is the matter of compensation.
Difficulty with homonyms? To, two, too? I can tell the difference so you don't have to.
Spelling? Three-times running spelling bee champion of Podunk, Pennsylvania. If I misspell something it's from fatfingering. The spelling rules are embedded so deeply I cannot consciously affect them. I have Miss Glossner, Miss Strayer, and Mrs McGill to thank, and so can you.
Effect versus affect? I've got you covered.
So think about it. If you want to enter the Big Leagues, you want to show the deadtree Media that you Are In Fact All That And A Box Of Chicken---that not only do you write but that you Are Edited---I am the lever with which you can move the world. You supply the place to stand.
Mind you, it has to be worth my while. I have to be maintained in the manner to which I am accustomed. After all, only a cad and poseur ends a sentence with a proposition.
Not much point in making house payments any more, is there?
My hands shook with rage over lunchtime today after hearing how the Supremes ruled on Kelo. I uttered "son of a bitch" in the company of women and officers, and had to explain myself with uneven voice. They graciously understood. What stunned me was how little they were aware that this was even an issue in a court in our country.
No pretense of justice can now be entertained with respect to the five who ruled. Even Kennedy's hedging cannot be forgiven.
Cannot be forgiven.
Bouncing between Fox and CNN, it appears that only Fox gets it. Shepard Smith, him of the Purty Eyebrows, summarized the import of the Kelo ruling ably before a break.
What does not stun me is that commenters on this ruling, such as here, view the ruling as a competition between conservatism and liberalism.
I've got a few bucks to help ship people up Mrs Kelo's house for a sit-in. Apart from that, there is little left to contemplate, after Raich and now Kelo, except bitter agreement with this post.
That, and watching the real estate bubble burst.
No pretense of justice can now be entertained with respect to the five who ruled. Even Kennedy's hedging cannot be forgiven.
Cannot be forgiven.
Bouncing between Fox and CNN, it appears that only Fox gets it. Shepard Smith, him of the Purty Eyebrows, summarized the import of the Kelo ruling ably before a break.
What does not stun me is that commenters on this ruling, such as here, view the ruling as a competition between conservatism and liberalism.
I've got a few bucks to help ship people up Mrs Kelo's house for a sit-in. Apart from that, there is little left to contemplate, after Raich and now Kelo, except bitter agreement with this post.
That, and watching the real estate bubble burst.
20050622
Good news day for dysfunctional gun-nuts
Army Times announces that .45 ACP sidearms are coming back. No permalink available.
Airborne Combat Engineer describes a game of tastes-great/less-filling between proponents of the 6.8mm SPC and the 6.5mm Grendel as candidates for a new service rifle cartridge.
Airborne Combat Engineer describes a game of tastes-great/less-filling between proponents of the 6.8mm SPC and the 6.5mm Grendel as candidates for a new service rifle cartridge.
- ACE quotes a critic of both cartridges, "In a barrel that length, some of the powder of both rounds will be wasted burning outside the barrel, displaying the firer's position to the enemy (except to the extent it can be hiden with a flash suppressor), and not helping the bullet move downrange rapidly." Utter bullshit. Some muzzle flash is inevitable. If Uncle Sugar changes to either of these cartridges, he has ample talent at his disposal to formulate a propellant load that burns efficiently before leaving the shorter barrel, if he has the sense to make that a requirement, and to make up his Soldiers' and Marines' minds on how long that barrel will be. That seems to have settled at 14.5 inches (agree, ACE?), which won't throw the Grendel to its full potential. It may suffice for the 6.8.
- ACE notes: "The Alexander Arms site only says the '26 Grendel' (its name for the rifle which fires the 6.5mm Grendel) is 'under development,' which leads one to wonder why rifle introduced last May is not yet ready to be purchased." Does a complete AR-15 upper count? A bit salty at $939, I'll admit, and backordered until the end of this month, but I'd call that "available." Note also, it's a 24-incher. An 18" is listed by AA, but none shorter.
Another proposal sure to draw fire
After reading this post (see "point 1"), I now notice much more pointedly how English should be the only language of our Federal government's official business. Filing a Federal form? English only. Voting in an election that includes Federal candidates, or is financed in part by Federal money? English only.
If I were running for Senate (idle conjecture, mind you) and wanted to reach Latinos, would I speak Spanish to them? Of course, and I'd learn more of it than I know now to do so. But I'd be telling them that we need English as the official language for Federal business, and that the States can do what they want with their own money.
If more States were irked that the Federal government dictated spoken or written languages to them, maybe more of them would take Federalism seriously and turn away the Federal dollars that carry such strings with them. And the people of those States would suffer, or succeed, on the merits of their choices.
But I digress. Be ready to pick your jaw back up from the floor.
English should be the only language spoken in the American uniform.
I am finding myself training people in my own broken high-school Spanish, because when I speak to them in English they don't understand me. That is unacceptable. An occasional vamanos isn't irksome, but an entire conversation among trainees surely is. Potential mishandling of an expensive test instrument or a weapon would be catastrophic.
There may be a First Amendment problem with a DoD regulation mandating that all official military conduct take place in English, but I'd argue for a good-order-and-discipline exception, the same exception that covers the expressions of disrespect for superiors or disgrace of the uniform.
This is not motivated by any animus towards the language itself, nor the people who speak it. I've conducted business in Latin America, with and without translators, I like the pace of life I saw there, and I'd consider moving my family there for a year or two if my career called for it. But Uncle Sugar's uniformed services have acronyms, brevities, their own language as it were, for a good reason. And that language is based upon English. If you have not served, you might not understand the importance of this point, and any servicemember will be able to explain it to you.
It seems that I have also run afoul of Governor Lamm's eighth point, cited in Emigre's post. Que lastima.
And a belated welcome, Emigre, to the blogroll.
Update, mere hours later: D'oh. After asking around, I am told there already is such a DoD reg. Looking . . .
If I were running for Senate (idle conjecture, mind you) and wanted to reach Latinos, would I speak Spanish to them? Of course, and I'd learn more of it than I know now to do so. But I'd be telling them that we need English as the official language for Federal business, and that the States can do what they want with their own money.
If more States were irked that the Federal government dictated spoken or written languages to them, maybe more of them would take Federalism seriously and turn away the Federal dollars that carry such strings with them. And the people of those States would suffer, or succeed, on the merits of their choices.
But I digress. Be ready to pick your jaw back up from the floor.
English should be the only language spoken in the American uniform.
I am finding myself training people in my own broken high-school Spanish, because when I speak to them in English they don't understand me. That is unacceptable. An occasional vamanos isn't irksome, but an entire conversation among trainees surely is. Potential mishandling of an expensive test instrument or a weapon would be catastrophic.
There may be a First Amendment problem with a DoD regulation mandating that all official military conduct take place in English, but I'd argue for a good-order-and-discipline exception, the same exception that covers the expressions of disrespect for superiors or disgrace of the uniform.
This is not motivated by any animus towards the language itself, nor the people who speak it. I've conducted business in Latin America, with and without translators, I like the pace of life I saw there, and I'd consider moving my family there for a year or two if my career called for it. But Uncle Sugar's uniformed services have acronyms, brevities, their own language as it were, for a good reason. And that language is based upon English. If you have not served, you might not understand the importance of this point, and any servicemember will be able to explain it to you.
It seems that I have also run afoul of Governor Lamm's eighth point, cited in Emigre's post. Que lastima.
And a belated welcome, Emigre, to the blogroll.
Update, mere hours later: D'oh. After asking around, I am told there already is such a DoD reg. Looking . . .
20050621
Wish lists, updated
We're launching two wish lists here at WUTT!, one the traditional Amazon-style, which we hopefully will build and link so that readers may browse to it and resupply Barbaloot with new Calphalon, if they become so generous.
The other, however, aspires to something less crass, literally less commercial, appealing to the nobler aspects of simple desire. This list will capture those things we long for, but cannot be bought with a PayPal account and delivered to a shipping address.
My first entry on this wish list: a live performance of the theme from Monsters, Inc somewhere in the south Denver suburbs.
My second entry on this wish list: to see Drew Carey and the Whose Line Is It Anyway? improvs do a variation on the Questions Only skit; instead of Questions Only, it will be song lyrics only. Each comic is limited to using lines from song from a given band or artist. Colin does Billy Idol, Ryan Stiles does Led Zeppelin, and Greg Proops does The Temptations.
Third: to hear Shania Twain perform a cover of Led Zeppelin's Hot Dog.
Fourth: another live performance of a Disney movie theme, The Incredibles.
Fifth (20080712): To hear and see Blue Man Group perform Depeche Mode's Policy of Truth.
Sixth (20110916): To hear R. Lee Ermy jody-call I Like To Move It Move It.
The other, however, aspires to something less crass, literally less commercial, appealing to the nobler aspects of simple desire. This list will capture those things we long for, but cannot be bought with a PayPal account and delivered to a shipping address.
My first entry on this wish list: a live performance of the theme from Monsters, Inc somewhere in the south Denver suburbs.
My second entry on this wish list: to see Drew Carey and the Whose Line Is It Anyway? improvs do a variation on the Questions Only skit; instead of Questions Only, it will be song lyrics only. Each comic is limited to using lines from song from a given band or artist. Colin does Billy Idol, Ryan Stiles does Led Zeppelin, and Greg Proops does The Temptations.
Third: to hear Shania Twain perform a cover of Led Zeppelin's Hot Dog.
Fourth: another live performance of a Disney movie theme, The Incredibles.
Fifth (20080712): To hear and see Blue Man Group perform Depeche Mode's Policy of Truth.
Sixth (20110916): To hear R. Lee Ermy jody-call I Like To Move It Move It.
After-Christmas Wish List (updated)
Yet another list of Things I Want, now that Christmas is out of the way and the list is pretty much day late and dollar short. This list will grow as the year wears on, because someday it will be time for Christmas shopping again---or Our Birthday, Preciousss.
- A rappel harness and a couple of carabiners.
- Crankandstein grain mill
- A Dillon dress belt, 1-1/4", black. Strictly for Sunday churchgoing.
- A hard case for, er, golf clubs. Used would be just fine, as long as the hinges, latches, and locks are sound. Scratches and dings are OK.
- A Dobbshead apron for the X-Day cookouts.
- iWork
- A set of 500-lb rated Husky Hang-alls (this one qualifies for anniversary too)
- An in-car gun safe.
- A pair of Bionic Boots.
20050620
Rothbox
This Sosh Scurty privatization proposal sounds suspiciously like one by Durk Pearson in June '05's issue of Liberty (article not online, it's at p. 31 in the deadtree, to which you should be subscribing anyway).
Compare:
To this:
Yes, the DeMint-Graham-Santorum proposal uses the surplus to buy Treasuries, which Pearson disapproves because they would shift the moneys to a form of government debt, therefore a form of "I owe mes" that each worker writes out to himself. Pearson proposes Roths that channel the money back into the productive economy, rather than Ts that will have to be repaid by revenue taken from, in all likelihood, the same guy whose SS surplus bought them in the first place.
Still, I find it refreshing that some minds are still working at the SS problem and zeroing in on a particularly abusive aspect of the SS system, the misdirection of surpluses. I'd take pleasure in seeing that gigantic dripping teat being yanked from the lips of Congress.
Pearson's proposal also changes the incentive from early retirement to continuing productive work, anticipating significant advances in life extension. As they say, RTWT.
Compare:
It would create no new debt for the government because, unlike President Bush's proposal, the personal accounts would use only the surplus payroll taxes now flowing into the Treasury. That surplus will hit some $85 billion next year, and grow in succeeding years . . . Preventing that money from being 'raided' by a spendthrift Congress and White House could be enormously popular with a cynical public.(HT Instapundit)
To this:
Simply return each worker's annual surplus payment in the form of a check marked "For deposit to a Social Security Roth IRA only" . . . The appearance of increased deficits from not allowing Congress to continue to steal the Social Security surplus from non-Social Security spending is not a cost of Social Security; it is a cost of a spendthrift Congress, and the blame should be placed right where it belongs---on those politicians who will not reform.
Yes, the DeMint-Graham-Santorum proposal uses the surplus to buy Treasuries, which Pearson disapproves because they would shift the moneys to a form of government debt, therefore a form of "I owe mes" that each worker writes out to himself. Pearson proposes Roths that channel the money back into the productive economy, rather than Ts that will have to be repaid by revenue taken from, in all likelihood, the same guy whose SS surplus bought them in the first place.
Still, I find it refreshing that some minds are still working at the SS problem and zeroing in on a particularly abusive aspect of the SS system, the misdirection of surpluses. I'd take pleasure in seeing that gigantic dripping teat being yanked from the lips of Congress.
Pearson's proposal also changes the incentive from early retirement to continuing productive work, anticipating significant advances in life extension. As they say, RTWT.
20050616
What the world needs now
is a Firefox plug-in that searches for terms among the online prediction markets, such as inTrade and StrategyPage.
Nodding in sorrowful agreement
. . . with Rivrdog:
Although I think Saudi more likely.
I had just sat down to dinner, and the goodwife had the TV tuned to MSNBC to watch "Scarborough Country".
Joe Scarborough had some FB-One profiler on and they were speculating on what might have happened to Natalee Holloway, the high-school gal that was kidnapped on Aruba.
At the end, Mr. Scarborough gave us his theory:
SHE WAS KIDNAPPED BY A CRIMINAL GANG AND TAKEN TO VENEZUALA[sic] TO BE FORCED TO WORK AS A PROSTITUTE.
I almost fell out of my chair, because that is exactly what I said two days ago.
Although I think Saudi more likely.
20050612
Happy feet!
I can get picky about shoes, particularly athletic shoes. I'm a pronating walker with high arches. My #4 toes hammer, a lot in fact, so I need some extra width in a shoe to allow them to spread out.
I asked one of my young bucks today to help me pick out the right shoe at the PX. I want a cross-trainer capable of indoor running (or vice versa). He pointed me to the New Balance 717. No link available. Did he do OK or did he make sh1t up?
Bought them anyway, I have no way to tell if they're going to work until I put some clicks on them.
Where is Alvin Toffler's Third Wave of custom-manufacturing sized goods to order now that it's the Twenty-first Century already?
I asked one of my young bucks today to help me pick out the right shoe at the PX. I want a cross-trainer capable of indoor running (or vice versa). He pointed me to the New Balance 717. No link available. Did he do OK or did he make sh1t up?
Bought them anyway, I have no way to tell if they're going to work until I put some clicks on them.
Where is Alvin Toffler's Third Wave of custom-manufacturing sized goods to order now that it's the Twenty-first Century already?
20050606
QftD
Justice Thomas, dissenting from the odious Gonzales v. Raich:
And here's another:
He's pissed. I'm pissed. We all ought to be pissed.
If the majority [of the Supreme Court] is to be taken seriously, the
Federal Government may now regulate quilting bees,
clothes drives, and potluck suppers throughout the 50
States.
And here's another:
One searches the Court's opinion in vain for any hint of
what aspect of American life is reserved to the States.
He's pissed. I'm pissed. We all ought to be pissed.
20050604
QftD
Says Uncle:
Anarcholibertarians assert, among other things, that most if not all functions of law enforcement could better be left to the private sector. Uncle's post linked here explains my disagreement. I don't support privatization of certain government functions, just as I oppose the nationalization of private industries or having the government provide certain services.
Private firms should not have the legal powers that the police have. Most police should not have the powers that police have.
Anarcholibertarians assert, among other things, that most if not all functions of law enforcement could better be left to the private sector. Uncle's post linked here explains my disagreement. I don't support privatization of certain government functions, just as I oppose the nationalization of private industries or having the government provide certain services.
Commonplaces for early the 4th of June
I have seen it and it does not work as a pickup line:
I am an unemployed Polish insurance executive.
Equally poor comeback line:
OK, but what are you going to bullshit me about?
What, really, is so wrong about lies so obvious that they must be jokes? (Because for some people these lies are not obvious. There are people who have to really work at checking your high-and-tight against your claims and calling you on it. These must be representatives of Dr Sowell's subject, below.---Ed.)
What would Thomas Sowell have to say about country music?
There is something third-worldly about the smell of a taxicab. Even if you catch one in south-central Missouri, the smell can take you back to Uberlândia or Santiago if the humidity is just right.
Equally poor comeback line:
What, really, is so wrong about lies so obvious that they must be jokes? (Because for some people these lies are not obvious. There are people who have to really work at checking your high-and-tight against your claims and calling you on it. These must be representatives of Dr Sowell's subject, below.---Ed.)
What would Thomas Sowell have to say about country music?
There is something third-worldly about the smell of a taxicab. Even if you catch one in south-central Missouri, the smell can take you back to Uberlândia or Santiago if the humidity is just right.
20050522
Mr President, move this line
A recent Federal law allows police officers to carry concealed across State borders, even in States that have no concealed carry, even for retired officers.
I generally favor this kind of law, in spite of the separation of civilians into LEOs and non-LEOs, for one reason: it's a step towards rearmament of everyone. I'm a creeping incrementalist. The undecided see that cops and retired cops pose no threat. Next year, they'll see that interstate permit holders are no threat. The year after, they'll see that concealed carriers without permits are no threat. The year after that, maybe we can carry sharp objects on commercial aircraft again.
The people who conceived, drafted, and pushed this bill through appear to have sound Federalist instincts. They recognized that the law would need a Federal nexus, something in addition to the Privileges and Immunities clause. So they added a line that this law requires that the "firearm ... has been ... in interstate commerce" to apply.
Unless you make your own, almost from ore upward, it would be hard to conceive of a firearm that has not been in interstate commerce. The Institute for Justice includes just such targets on its hit list of Supreme Court cases it wants to reverse, such as wheat grown for consumption by the farmer rather than for sale. IJ has no particular pro- or anti-gun position per se, but RKBA folks should see common cause with them.
I would argue that the very moment a firearm is stamped with a serial number by a Federally licensed manufacturer, it enters interstate commerce, even if in intent only. No doubt a resourceful Federal prosecutor, if he's grasping at straws for a conviction, will make the same argument. Some have anticipated this argument and seek to counter it before it happens, and my hat is off to them.
I make this argument not to ruin a Federalist's day, nor to trash my own chance at building my own 1911 in the near future, nor the better to define where that line between private consumption and interstate commerce lies, but to move that line.
I generally favor this kind of law, in spite of the separation of civilians into LEOs and non-LEOs, for one reason: it's a step towards rearmament of everyone. I'm a creeping incrementalist. The undecided see that cops and retired cops pose no threat. Next year, they'll see that interstate permit holders are no threat. The year after, they'll see that concealed carriers without permits are no threat. The year after that, maybe we can carry sharp objects on commercial aircraft again.
The people who conceived, drafted, and pushed this bill through appear to have sound Federalist instincts. They recognized that the law would need a Federal nexus, something in addition to the Privileges and Immunities clause. So they added a line that this law requires that the "firearm ... has been ... in interstate commerce" to apply.
Unless you make your own, almost from ore upward, it would be hard to conceive of a firearm that has not been in interstate commerce. The Institute for Justice includes just such targets on its hit list of Supreme Court cases it wants to reverse, such as wheat grown for consumption by the farmer rather than for sale. IJ has no particular pro- or anti-gun position per se, but RKBA folks should see common cause with them.
I would argue that the very moment a firearm is stamped with a serial number by a Federally licensed manufacturer, it enters interstate commerce, even if in intent only. No doubt a resourceful Federal prosecutor, if he's grasping at straws for a conviction, will make the same argument. Some have anticipated this argument and seek to counter it before it happens, and my hat is off to them.
I make this argument not to ruin a Federalist's day, nor to trash my own chance at building my own 1911 in the near future, nor the better to define where that line between private consumption and interstate commerce lies, but to move that line.
20050519
Where's my CRC handbook?
Can a transition metal have more than one peroxide, just as it can have more than one oxide?
Seems to me that it could. In that case, I presume that the peroxide should be treated as a radical, a covalently bonded whole that enters ionic bonds with metals. The peroxide radical simply contains two oxygens, covalently bonded together, in place of one, but bearing the same ionic charge as the oxide, all other things kept equal. Lead II oxide is PbO, so lead II peroxide would be PbO2.
But then would lead IV peroxide have two peroxide ions---would it be PbO4?
OK, then you understand my frustration with this question: given that iron III oxide is Fe2O3, would iron III peroxide be Fe2O6, or even Fe2(O2)3?
Seems to me that it could. In that case, I presume that the peroxide should be treated as a radical, a covalently bonded whole that enters ionic bonds with metals. The peroxide radical simply contains two oxygens, covalently bonded together, in place of one, but bearing the same ionic charge as the oxide, all other things kept equal. Lead II oxide is PbO, so lead II peroxide would be PbO2.
But then would lead IV peroxide have two peroxide ions---would it be PbO4?
OK, then you understand my frustration with this question: given that iron III oxide is Fe2O3, would iron III peroxide be Fe2O6, or even Fe2(O2)3?
20050428
impressive as hell
I built a website for my new team today on Army Knowledge Online. AKO beats the sh1t out of AF Portal, without working up a sweat.
20050427
The NCO's prayer
Father,
give me for today the wisdom and energy to lead American fighting men.
Out.
give me for today the wisdom and energy to lead American fighting men.
Out.
Privatization dead?
Now that I am reconnecting with the media somewhat, it appears that the urgency for privatization of Social Security is on the wane.
This is not frigging acceptable. Simply not acceptable. Of course a President must pick his battles, but I would advise that Dubya let the Senate GOP majority take on the issue of Senatorial advice and consent for his judicial appointments, so he can keep beating the drum for SS privatization.
And I agree with Ed Crane that the better selling point for privatization is simple human dignity, not some abstract solvency for SS. I don't give a rat's ass whether SS will be solvent in the year 2040. Most other people don't either. They and I will care whether there will be any money left in our estates to pass to heirs, whether we in our dotage will be draining the wealth of our children. Speak to that dignity, speak to that recurring fear among aging parents, Mister President. Privatization can solve that, if not for all of the Boomers at least for the wiser of them.
Back to the President picking his battles: the diversion to the Terri Schiavo matter was a mistake at the Federal level. I got off work early one day to attend a town meeting with my US Representative, to hear him promote SS privatization. When I got there, he wasn't, and some staffers and SS functionaries were holding the town meeting in his stead. The rest of the audience was comfortably past the age of 55, and there were enough of us that a thuggish little furball with an embroidered badge on his polo shirt saying Fire Marshall wanted to kick out those of us who couldn't find a seat.
My rep wasn't there because he had been called back to DC, to vote on a law to authorize Federal courts to hear Terri's whining parents. That day, that one day knocked the wind out of privatization because the GOP's eyes were taken off the ball.
Mister President, get your skinny ass back out there and sell this plan, and don't allow any distraction, even the Chinese launching on Taiwan. You have Rumsfeld for that.
Please. Sir.
Respectfully,
Fûz
This is not frigging acceptable. Simply not acceptable. Of course a President must pick his battles, but I would advise that Dubya let the Senate GOP majority take on the issue of Senatorial advice and consent for his judicial appointments, so he can keep beating the drum for SS privatization.
And I agree with Ed Crane that the better selling point for privatization is simple human dignity, not some abstract solvency for SS. I don't give a rat's ass whether SS will be solvent in the year 2040. Most other people don't either. They and I will care whether there will be any money left in our estates to pass to heirs, whether we in our dotage will be draining the wealth of our children. Speak to that dignity, speak to that recurring fear among aging parents, Mister President. Privatization can solve that, if not for all of the Boomers at least for the wiser of them.
Back to the President picking his battles: the diversion to the Terri Schiavo matter was a mistake at the Federal level. I got off work early one day to attend a town meeting with my US Representative, to hear him promote SS privatization. When I got there, he wasn't, and some staffers and SS functionaries were holding the town meeting in his stead. The rest of the audience was comfortably past the age of 55, and there were enough of us that a thuggish little furball with an embroidered badge on his polo shirt saying Fire Marshall wanted to kick out those of us who couldn't find a seat.
My rep wasn't there because he had been called back to DC, to vote on a law to authorize Federal courts to hear Terri's whining parents. That day, that one day knocked the wind out of privatization because the GOP's eyes were taken off the ball.
Mister President, get your skinny ass back out there and sell this plan, and don't allow any distraction, even the Chinese launching on Taiwan. You have Rumsfeld for that.
Please. Sir.
Respectfully,
Fûz
. . . and they loaded up the truck and they moved to Laramieeeeeee
. . . County, that is. Drivin' wind. Antelope.
First week was a cluster for reasons I'd rather not recount. But I was hired to put things in order, after all, and that I will do.
A Quiz With No Known Correct Answer for all five of my regular devoted readers:
You might not know that at Air Force Bases, the Commissaries (subsidized grocers for the servicemembers) do not hire baggers. Volunteers bag your groceries, and work only for tips. A little box or jar right at the end of the cashier stand lets you drop in as much or as little as you will for your bagger.
While I was still at Golfball Prairie AFB, sometimes Barbaloot would text me a full shopping list and I would buy it and drive home with it. I'd make sure I had a couple of bucks---not $1 per bag like an airport skycap, Hey, I work for a living!---and give it to the bagger when she loaded it into my trunk. BTW, the baggers there are all Japanese or Korean. Wonder why . . .
On the other hand, there were times when I had no cash, and I knew I could get a tray of sushi at the Commissary, put it on plastic, and get back to work quickly, but chose not to tip the bagger because hell, it was only lunch. The bagger dutifully bagged it for me anyway. I had to concentrate to not feel like a heel for not tipping.
So it's crossed my mind every time I shop at an AF Commissary, either at Golfball AFB or now at Windswept AFB: who do you think tips best and who tips worst? Airmen, Junior NCOs, Senior NCOs, Company grade officers, or Flag officers? Married or single? Male or female? High-and-tight, or Post-modern?
If any genuine Commissary Baggers read this sheet, I'd like you to chime in.
First week was a cluster for reasons I'd rather not recount. But I was hired to put things in order, after all, and that I will do.
A Quiz With No Known Correct Answer for all five of my regular devoted readers:
You might not know that at Air Force Bases, the Commissaries (subsidized grocers for the servicemembers) do not hire baggers. Volunteers bag your groceries, and work only for tips. A little box or jar right at the end of the cashier stand lets you drop in as much or as little as you will for your bagger.
While I was still at Golfball Prairie AFB, sometimes Barbaloot would text me a full shopping list and I would buy it and drive home with it. I'd make sure I had a couple of bucks---not $1 per bag like an airport skycap, Hey, I work for a living!---and give it to the bagger when she loaded it into my trunk. BTW, the baggers there are all Japanese or Korean. Wonder why . . .
On the other hand, there were times when I had no cash, and I knew I could get a tray of sushi at the Commissary, put it on plastic, and get back to work quickly, but chose not to tip the bagger because hell, it was only lunch. The bagger dutifully bagged it for me anyway. I had to concentrate to not feel like a heel for not tipping.
So it's crossed my mind every time I shop at an AF Commissary, either at Golfball AFB or now at Windswept AFB: who do you think tips best and who tips worst? Airmen, Junior NCOs, Senior NCOs, Company grade officers, or Flag officers? Married or single? Male or female? High-and-tight, or Post-modern?
If any genuine Commissary Baggers read this sheet, I'd like you to chime in.
20050416
OK, hybrid-ize this
Hybrid automobiles are catching on, and good luck to them. From what I've seen of the Prius, I'll keep my Malibu for a few more years. I wish that turbodiesels were more widely available for minivans---a VW Eurovan TDI would be killer.
Going on a limb here, it seems that the biggest challenge to making a hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle is making space for the batteries that store electricity, a place where the weight of the batteries has less impact on ride and handling. I'd rather solve a different problem, such as the need for the batteries at all.
So how about a smaller reciprocating engine like a Stelzer, integrated with an electric alternator. The frequency ("RPM"?) of the Stelzer can be high, in the kilohertz range, so the transformers built to step the voltage down or up can be smaller and lighter. The Stelzer has only one real moving part, and it can be made very compact. Each end of the piston carries a magnet, and windings surrounding the piston ends capture the pistons' reciprocation as alternating current.
From the alternator, cables run to smaller motors at each wheel. Perhaps these motors, optimized for the higher frequencies of the Stelzer-powered alternator, can be made smaller and lighter too. They'll be out at the wheels, needing no mechanical transmission or differential to deliver the torque to the wheels, and can provide all-wheel drive for better traction and handling. This arrangement can make all-wheel steering easier to implement too.
If the motors can be built to operate as alternators as well as motors, then the motors can be turned into brakes, recovering the energy from braking and converting it back into current. This current could be used to accelerate a flywheel mounted practically anywhere in the vehicle. When the red light turns to green, the flywheel is tapped for that energy, dumping it back to the wheel motors. This smoothes out the peaks and valleys of power demand so the Stelzer can run efficiently and cleanly at a more constant RPM.
This sounds to me like a system that can be retrofitted to existing vehicles. A Stelzer motor-alternator is not going to take up as much space as a V6 with transaxle. The flywheel might be a challenge: will precession become a problem? And I'm clueless as to how to get a Stelzer motor started---maybe using the alternator windings as motors? But most of the existing drivetrain, and a lot of weight, would simply be wrecked out.
Going on a limb here, it seems that the biggest challenge to making a hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle is making space for the batteries that store electricity, a place where the weight of the batteries has less impact on ride and handling. I'd rather solve a different problem, such as the need for the batteries at all.
So how about a smaller reciprocating engine like a Stelzer, integrated with an electric alternator. The frequency ("RPM"?) of the Stelzer can be high, in the kilohertz range, so the transformers built to step the voltage down or up can be smaller and lighter. The Stelzer has only one real moving part, and it can be made very compact. Each end of the piston carries a magnet, and windings surrounding the piston ends capture the pistons' reciprocation as alternating current.
From the alternator, cables run to smaller motors at each wheel. Perhaps these motors, optimized for the higher frequencies of the Stelzer-powered alternator, can be made smaller and lighter too. They'll be out at the wheels, needing no mechanical transmission or differential to deliver the torque to the wheels, and can provide all-wheel drive for better traction and handling. This arrangement can make all-wheel steering easier to implement too.
If the motors can be built to operate as alternators as well as motors, then the motors can be turned into brakes, recovering the energy from braking and converting it back into current. This current could be used to accelerate a flywheel mounted practically anywhere in the vehicle. When the red light turns to green, the flywheel is tapped for that energy, dumping it back to the wheel motors. This smoothes out the peaks and valleys of power demand so the Stelzer can run efficiently and cleanly at a more constant RPM.
This sounds to me like a system that can be retrofitted to existing vehicles. A Stelzer motor-alternator is not going to take up as much space as a V6 with transaxle. The flywheel might be a challenge: will precession become a problem? And I'm clueless as to how to get a Stelzer motor started---maybe using the alternator windings as motors? But most of the existing drivetrain, and a lot of weight, would simply be wrecked out.
20050413
Dishpan hands
I've taken a few days off recently to straighten up the house. We're almost done and ready to show the place off to interested buyers.
A lot of caulking of windows, sweeping of the garage and basement, and scrubbing of handrails and such.
Very busy.
A lot of caulking of windows, sweeping of the garage and basement, and scrubbing of handrails and such.
Very busy.
20050411
What Screenwriters Want
Watching What Women Want last night, Barbaloot and I wondered whether the story line originated from a man or from a woman. After batting that thought around for a while, I wondered why Mel Gibson's character was not hearing any bitter, catty, harsh, or even downright evil internal dialog through his accidentally acquired womans'-thought-reading powers: "It's about time Nina found a few new dress. And those shoes!" "God these cramps are killing me." "Bill wants to get together tonight? Oh come on, he can't service a cat with that thing." "One or two more 8l0w708s on that guy in accounting and I can launch my suit and own this company."
It's as if women never think bad things---they're chronically misunderstood victims of the blundering inattention (or inattentive blunders?) of us competitive penis-driven Y-chromo-bearing oafs. I beg to differ. In fact, victimhood often begets evil, if one chooses to embrace victimhood and turn it to a claim against the world.
Barbaloot also noted that Shallow Hal is built on a very similar premise, that chronically misunderstood women not only think only wholesome thoughts, but that they are all wonderful people on the inside, regardless of outward appearance. (We both enjoy that movie, BTW.)
Hal saw only beautiful people, male or female, child through senior, because their outward appearances no longer distracted him from Humanity's Universal Internal Beauty. There were no hotties whom Hal saw as repulsive wart-ridden demons because their internal evil was visible only to him. This represents not an ability to see things as they are, a lifting of the veil so to speak, but trading glasses of one color for another color equally or more distorting.
So now there are two movies I'd like to see, instead of seeing What Screenwriters Want and how Shallow stereotypes are. A movie wherein the subject hears the bad as well as the good, and another wherein the subject sees the bad as well as the good. We don't mind whether the subjects turn out to be Really Nice Changed Guys in the end, or even whether they Get the Girl in the end either. In fact, such experiences are likely to challenge any person's ability to stay sane, let alone choose the right path.
If any cinephile knows of such films already made and waiting for us, Barbaloot and I would appreciate the pointer.
It's as if women never think bad things---they're chronically misunderstood victims of the blundering inattention (or inattentive blunders?) of us competitive penis-driven Y-chromo-bearing oafs. I beg to differ. In fact, victimhood often begets evil, if one chooses to embrace victimhood and turn it to a claim against the world.
Barbaloot also noted that Shallow Hal is built on a very similar premise, that chronically misunderstood women not only think only wholesome thoughts, but that they are all wonderful people on the inside, regardless of outward appearance. (We both enjoy that movie, BTW.)
Hal saw only beautiful people, male or female, child through senior, because their outward appearances no longer distracted him from Humanity's Universal Internal Beauty. There were no hotties whom Hal saw as repulsive wart-ridden demons because their internal evil was visible only to him. This represents not an ability to see things as they are, a lifting of the veil so to speak, but trading glasses of one color for another color equally or more distorting.
So now there are two movies I'd like to see, instead of seeing What Screenwriters Want and how Shallow stereotypes are. A movie wherein the subject hears the bad as well as the good, and another wherein the subject sees the bad as well as the good. We don't mind whether the subjects turn out to be Really Nice Changed Guys in the end, or even whether they Get the Girl in the end either. In fact, such experiences are likely to challenge any person's ability to stay sane, let alone choose the right path.
If any cinephile knows of such films already made and waiting for us, Barbaloot and I would appreciate the pointer.
20050324
Moving
My kids are going to breathe the air of such giants as Malcolm Wallop and Alan Simpson.
I will cease paying state income tax.
I will be getting my antelope tags as a resident.
I will have a position on a great, tightly-knit, single-mindedly focused organization.
We are moving to Wyoming. The hard part is staying in Colorado long enough for the kids to finish their year of school. I can wait.
To all who offered their prayers and best wishes, thank you. They paid off.
And if you're looking for that extra kick of freedom---BAM!!---consider moving here too.
I will cease paying state income tax.
I will be getting my antelope tags as a resident.
I will have a position on a great, tightly-knit, single-mindedly focused organization.
We are moving to Wyoming. The hard part is staying in Colorado long enough for the kids to finish their year of school. I can wait.
To all who offered their prayers and best wishes, thank you. They paid off.
And if you're looking for that extra kick of freedom---BAM!!---consider moving here too.
20050313
Can preen with the best
That oughtta be a bullet in my next EPR. We offer proof:
The Official Glamorous Full-Length Photograph of Fusilier N. Pundit
Annoying Mr. Hanson, Mr. Christopher Hanson . . .
The Official Glamorous Full-Length Photograph of Fusilier N. Pundit
Annoying Mr. Hanson, Mr. Christopher Hanson . . .
Directors Cut
Here are my votes for the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association. These votes are guided by criteria that I set forth below, in no particular order or unifying scheme. We could redefine online advocacy if we gunbloggers examine not just our votes for such things, but the philosophies or rationales behind those votes. We should advance something more coherent next year than I offer as a humble start here.
All mentions of NRA Director nominees below are personal preferences on the basis of my criteria, and represent no official position from the NRA. The NRA has, in fact, told you their preferences, right there in the magazine, printed on the ballot. I exercise my right to express my personal preferences here, and encourage you to share mine, or to express and explain your own. Anything I write here about specific named individuals I base on what they have written about themselves in the ballot package's biographies, and my responses to what I found in them.
If you have any criticisms of my choices or criteria, put them in the comments and work with me to refine the criteria for next time around.
If you're an officer or Nominee of the NRA and you don't like my treatment of you or the subject, tough. If you can't stand this pathetic heat you're unfit for the job of protecting my HK from Chucky Schumer.
* * * *
First of all, one's presence on the NRA Nominating Committee's list carries less than zero credibility with me. I undertook this line of thought upon the untimely passing of Neal Knox, who offered his own list of nominees in loyal opposition. Not having Neal's recommendations this time around, I offer my own and seek the counsel of likeminded fellows.
In that spirit, I want to see a gun blogger on the BOD, and after getting his permission, I ask you to write in Jed Baer of unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado.
Next, a Director nominee should not tout his support of Operation Exile. That strikes Governor Gilmore.
Third, elected peace officers are OK in my book. Unelected cops, regrettably, are not. Sheriff Printz gets my vote, a bunch of Director nominees do not.
Fourth: professional lobbyists are not OK in my book. That strikes Mr Cors.
Fifth: if a nominee has taken the fight to the United Nations, he gets my vote. Hello Mr Dailey.
Sixth: if a nominee claims nothing more than competitive shooting or hunting in his vita, he offers nothing to the future of RKBA. For example, nothing in Mr Lanford's bio reaches out and grabs me. Conversely, if a nominee contributed his time or risked his life at the bleeding edge of the RKBA, he gets my vote. Mr Friedman taught emergency gun safety during the East LA riots.
Seventh: the NRA alone will not succeed in protecting the RKBA. All gunbloggers will agree that other organizations are needed as well. It is fitting for a Director nominee to claim membership in other orgs, as Mr Hollandsworth does. Mr Hollandsworth is also at the bleeding edge, as it were, in point six.
Eighth: Hollywood is not our friend. With some ambivalence, I assert that we need to cultivate the few friends there that we do have. Milius and Selleck, yes.
Ninth: there are times to embrace "diversity," if the diverse candidates also pass muster in raw merit. If antis complain that the NRA looks too GOP, too white-European-male, slam them with women and minorities. So we vote for Mr Innis.
Tenth: Have you defended RKBA in court as an attorney? Mr Stern gets the vote.
Senator Miller: Not sure. I liked his speech, as a Democrat to the GOP. However, Cathy Young's critique of that speech also must be considered. Enough doubt for me to withhold my vote.
Summary:
In the order in which they appear on my ballot, I vote for Selleck, Innis, Abrams, Dailey, Bennett, Friedman, Printz, Milius, Cotton, Cushman, Hollandsworth, Coy, Stern, Clark. Write in Baer.
I feel no particular pressure to vote for all 25 nominees that I am allowed. If that dilutes my vote in comparison to others, so be it.
Jot down yours in a comparable post at your place, leave a link in my comments, and please be prepared to pick this topic up again, with more circumspection, next January. Put it in your Palm if necessary. Do background on the nominees so we have more to go by than their bios, if that's your talent. If you attend the meetings, the votes of present Directors would also be useful.
All mentions of NRA Director nominees below are personal preferences on the basis of my criteria, and represent no official position from the NRA. The NRA has, in fact, told you their preferences, right there in the magazine, printed on the ballot. I exercise my right to express my personal preferences here, and encourage you to share mine, or to express and explain your own. Anything I write here about specific named individuals I base on what they have written about themselves in the ballot package's biographies, and my responses to what I found in them.
If you have any criticisms of my choices or criteria, put them in the comments and work with me to refine the criteria for next time around.
If you're an officer or Nominee of the NRA and you don't like my treatment of you or the subject, tough. If you can't stand this pathetic heat you're unfit for the job of protecting my HK from Chucky Schumer.
* * * *
First of all, one's presence on the NRA Nominating Committee's list carries less than zero credibility with me. I undertook this line of thought upon the untimely passing of Neal Knox, who offered his own list of nominees in loyal opposition. Not having Neal's recommendations this time around, I offer my own and seek the counsel of likeminded fellows.
In that spirit, I want to see a gun blogger on the BOD, and after getting his permission, I ask you to write in Jed Baer of unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado.
Next, a Director nominee should not tout his support of Operation Exile. That strikes Governor Gilmore.
Third, elected peace officers are OK in my book. Unelected cops, regrettably, are not. Sheriff Printz gets my vote, a bunch of Director nominees do not.
Fourth: professional lobbyists are not OK in my book. That strikes Mr Cors.
Fifth: if a nominee has taken the fight to the United Nations, he gets my vote. Hello Mr Dailey.
Sixth: if a nominee claims nothing more than competitive shooting or hunting in his vita, he offers nothing to the future of RKBA. For example, nothing in Mr Lanford's bio reaches out and grabs me. Conversely, if a nominee contributed his time or risked his life at the bleeding edge of the RKBA, he gets my vote. Mr Friedman taught emergency gun safety during the East LA riots.
Seventh: the NRA alone will not succeed in protecting the RKBA. All gunbloggers will agree that other organizations are needed as well. It is fitting for a Director nominee to claim membership in other orgs, as Mr Hollandsworth does. Mr Hollandsworth is also at the bleeding edge, as it were, in point six.
Eighth: Hollywood is not our friend. With some ambivalence, I assert that we need to cultivate the few friends there that we do have. Milius and Selleck, yes.
Ninth: there are times to embrace "diversity," if the diverse candidates also pass muster in raw merit. If antis complain that the NRA looks too GOP, too white-European-male, slam them with women and minorities. So we vote for Mr Innis.
Tenth: Have you defended RKBA in court as an attorney? Mr Stern gets the vote.
Senator Miller: Not sure. I liked his speech, as a Democrat to the GOP. However, Cathy Young's critique of that speech also must be considered. Enough doubt for me to withhold my vote.
Summary:
In the order in which they appear on my ballot, I vote for Selleck, Innis, Abrams, Dailey, Bennett, Friedman, Printz, Milius, Cotton, Cushman, Hollandsworth, Coy, Stern, Clark. Write in Baer.
I feel no particular pressure to vote for all 25 nominees that I am allowed. If that dilutes my vote in comparison to others, so be it.
Jot down yours in a comparable post at your place, leave a link in my comments, and please be prepared to pick this topic up again, with more circumspection, next January. Put it in your Palm if necessary. Do background on the nominees so we have more to go by than their bios, if that's your talent. If you attend the meetings, the votes of present Directors would also be useful.
20050305
State meme
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado* / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York* / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania* / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington/ West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /
Been to the States in bold, am living in the State italicized, lived in States that are underlined.
Now: the State I was married in bigger face. States where my children were born with an asterisk.
Which States I'd consider moving to.
Been to the States in bold, am living in the State italicized, lived in States that are underlined.
Now: the State I was married in bigger face. States where my children were born with an asterisk.
Which States I'd consider moving to.
I warned your asses. I warned you!
Rewind to my archive, about here:
OK, now scroll back to the present. The FEC is indeed now contemplating regulations, and the mechanisms to enforce them, against bloggers who participate in the national discussion of elections. HT to FreedomSight.
I propose a countermeasure.
Geekwitha45's comments and email to me disclose my embarrassing ignorance of BCRA. It does not regulate private activities, including bloggers, so my proposal does not incur the FEC's wrath.
OK, now scroll back to the present. The FEC is indeed now contemplating regulations, and the mechanisms to enforce them, against bloggers who participate in the national discussion of elections. HT to FreedomSight.
I propose a countermeasure.
Wish me luck
I wasn't joking in my description over there to the right, where I said "it's time to move to Wyoming."
The application package is going in. Cross your fingers for me. Salt over the shoulder. Blow me a kiss, if you're into that kind of thing.
And double your best wishes for my buddy Doug.
The application package is going in. Cross your fingers for me. Salt over the shoulder. Blow me a kiss, if you're into that kind of thing.
And double your best wishes for my buddy Doug.
Martha is free
She should not have gone to jail in the first place, and I wish her well in her appeal.
I also agree with VC that she is turning her sentence and release into a public relations coup. It has softened her earlier image as a harsh, driven, er . . . capitalist. Not that it needed any softening to me, but I'm not her target market.
What could she do next? My guess: a program in her company to encourage hiring and training for women ex-cons.
I also agree with VC that she is turning her sentence and release into a public relations coup. It has softened her earlier image as a harsh, driven, er . . . capitalist. Not that it needed any softening to me, but I'm not her target market.
What could she do next? My guess: a program in her company to encourage hiring and training for women ex-cons.
20050228
Presidents' Day
The snow kept us from driving up Devil's Head Mountain, so we sneaked over to Roxborough State Park instead.
It's like Garden of the Gods, but a helluva lot closer and strictly on foot. We'll be going back.
Oh, by the way, it's posted against firearms, which I safely assume means CCW is unwelcome. Not a smart idea if there are hunting cats around.
It's like Garden of the Gods, but a helluva lot closer and strictly on foot. We'll be going back.
Oh, by the way, it's posted against firearms, which I safely assume means CCW is unwelcome. Not a smart idea if there are hunting cats around.
20050227
Getting closer to a notebook killer
I remarked in this post about how there's a market for a hybrid PDA/computer, using a stripped Palm-type operating system to access what's stored on it, but shifting to a full desktop OS when docked to appropriate hardware.
It's still not here yet, but we can see approximations toward it. The most recent case in point is the Tungsten T5, a Palm (is it unfashionable to say "Palm pilot"?) with a USB flash memory drive aboard it. The Palm accesses this 256MB flash memory, leaving 160MB of it available as a plain USB flash drive. Some of it, only 55MB, is used by the Palm.
If it had an eentsy HD (20GB would do) instead of flash, it would be the killer. A few more grams for the extra power to spin it could be justified.
There's still plenty of life left in my m500, and all the room I need for spanking the Palm, but someday I'll want to abandon the 256MB flash drive that holds all my AF pdfs. When I do, I'll need more than 160MB. And I'll not pay $400 for it. Nor do I want a phone integrated in it.
As it is, the Clandestine Mobile Media Access Platform has been put out to pasture. I went about 2 months without it, then upgraded to this little girl, the 3250H1 model. At 4.5 lbs, she impresses me that notebooks will be the first notebook killers, not PDAs.
It's still not here yet, but we can see approximations toward it. The most recent case in point is the Tungsten T5, a Palm (is it unfashionable to say "Palm pilot"?) with a USB flash memory drive aboard it. The Palm accesses this 256MB flash memory, leaving 160MB of it available as a plain USB flash drive. Some of it, only 55MB, is used by the Palm.
If it had an eentsy HD (20GB would do) instead of flash, it would be the killer. A few more grams for the extra power to spin it could be justified.
There's still plenty of life left in my m500, and all the room I need for spanking the Palm, but someday I'll want to abandon the 256MB flash drive that holds all my AF pdfs. When I do, I'll need more than 160MB. And I'll not pay $400 for it. Nor do I want a phone integrated in it.
As it is, the Clandestine Mobile Media Access Platform has been put out to pasture. I went about 2 months without it, then upgraded to this little girl, the 3250H1 model. At 4.5 lbs, she impresses me that notebooks will be the first notebook killers, not PDAs.
20050225
Quote for the day
Pithy, and served cold:
Publicola on the reaction of the Unprotected class to the capture of an alleged serial rapist.
I've seen this type of thing before; this type of "empowered attitude" with nothing to back it up.
Publicola on the reaction of the Unprotected class to the capture of an alleged serial rapist.
20050222
20050220
Old graphite mare ain't what she used to be
The current mission-critical computer at chez Fûz is now 5 years old, a Sawtooth Mac G4 that originally shipped with OS 9.0.
We've added memory, installed a second hard drive and loaded OS 10.2/ 9.2, upgraded to 10.2.8, repaired a noisy fan on the video card, upgraded the CPU from 350MHz to 1GHz.
But I think that's all I'm going to do to prolong this machine's service life---and normally I'm willing to do a lot incrementally rather than all at once. The Mac prior to this one? a Umax clone running a 603 at 180. Before that, a Performa 475.
I've read up on upgrading video cards, and I don't like the idea of either paying Apple prices for a new card on the one hand, or having to flash the ROM of an OEM card on the other. The original ATI Rage Pro 128 will have to carry us a bit further, and America's Army will have to be played on a different box and OS.
I'm not even sure I want to go to 10.3 either. What else has to get upgraded to come along with Panther? Quicken? Nutscrape? Do I need 10.3 to run iWork?
I'm open to subjective advice. Moratorium on any more Mac goodies for 18-24 months and bring home a G6?
We've added memory, installed a second hard drive and loaded OS 10.2/ 9.2, upgraded to 10.2.8, repaired a noisy fan on the video card, upgraded the CPU from 350MHz to 1GHz.
But I think that's all I'm going to do to prolong this machine's service life---and normally I'm willing to do a lot incrementally rather than all at once. The Mac prior to this one? a Umax clone running a 603 at 180. Before that, a Performa 475.
I've read up on upgrading video cards, and I don't like the idea of either paying Apple prices for a new card on the one hand, or having to flash the ROM of an OEM card on the other. The original ATI Rage Pro 128 will have to carry us a bit further, and America's Army will have to be played on a different box and OS.
I'm not even sure I want to go to 10.3 either. What else has to get upgraded to come along with Panther? Quicken? Nutscrape? Do I need 10.3 to run iWork?
I'm open to subjective advice. Moratorium on any more Mac goodies for 18-24 months and bring home a G6?
It's not the fifties they're after
Brother gunblogger Triggerfinger (HT: FreedomSight) brings us news of CNN running a story that demonstrates how easy it is to buy a fifty-cal rifle and move it across State lines. To make the story, they had to break a Federal law.
My first impression is that no news organization should be breaking laws just to show how easy lawbreaking can be. Publicola and I agree that the law in question should not be a law in the first place, and that fifty-caliber rifles in private hands are no threat to public order. A first-and-a-half-th impression is that such laws serve only to make everyone just a little guilty, so anyone can have his arm twisted just a little bit by the Man. It's a Randian "consent of the victim" thing.
My second impression is that CNN and its reporters stand absolutely zero chance of having to defend themselves against charges of violating that law. Laws are for the little people.
My third impression is that CNN's reporters and/or producers and/or editors know, subconsciously perhaps, that fifty-caliber rifles are not the real story. The real story, and the activism motivating the fifty-caliber story, is terror and anguish over the fact that a seller of a gun and a buyer of a gun can find each other and arrange to meet face-to-face and make their transaction without the engagement of a licensed dealer. Sensationalize this, spice it up by adding today's Most Dreaded type of gun, and cue the anti-gun lobbyists.
Compared to the fifty-caliber, the antis would get more traction over the SKS (more bodies) except it has one letter or syllable too many. Ayyy-Kayy. Uuuu-zi. Fiff-tee. Mack-tenn. Ess-kay-ess takes just too long to say in a sound bite.
They're not after fifties, they are after private sales.
My first impression is that no news organization should be breaking laws just to show how easy lawbreaking can be. Publicola and I agree that the law in question should not be a law in the first place, and that fifty-caliber rifles in private hands are no threat to public order. A first-and-a-half-th impression is that such laws serve only to make everyone just a little guilty, so anyone can have his arm twisted just a little bit by the Man. It's a Randian "consent of the victim" thing.
My second impression is that CNN and its reporters stand absolutely zero chance of having to defend themselves against charges of violating that law. Laws are for the little people.
My third impression is that CNN's reporters and/or producers and/or editors know, subconsciously perhaps, that fifty-caliber rifles are not the real story. The real story, and the activism motivating the fifty-caliber story, is terror and anguish over the fact that a seller of a gun and a buyer of a gun can find each other and arrange to meet face-to-face and make their transaction without the engagement of a licensed dealer. Sensationalize this, spice it up by adding today's Most Dreaded type of gun, and cue the anti-gun lobbyists.
Compared to the fifty-caliber, the antis would get more traction over the SKS (more bodies) except it has one letter or syllable too many. Ayyy-Kayy. Uuuu-zi. Fiff-tee. Mack-tenn. Ess-kay-ess takes just too long to say in a sound bite.
They're not after fifties, they are after private sales.
20050219
No Sosh Scurty crisis? (updated)
The chief counterargument to privatization of the Social Security system seems to be that "there is no crisis."
All well and good, one might conclude, funds are forecast to be plentiful in that lockbox-thingy until, uh, about the year that I might be retiring. Until then, there is no crisis, no reason to be discomfited, no reason to act. Heck, I even think the GOP is floating this idea not to save Sosh Scurty, but to shut it down.
OK, well how about this scenario?
A dummy corporation, in fact a network of dummy corporations, obtains credentials to do business with a major credit reporting agency (HT, Rick Stanley), thus getting access to the vast databases maintained on every person who has or at one time had a loan, credit card, bankruptcy, judgment, or bank account anywhere in the United States in the last 50 years or served in her armed forces since the 1970s. This much has happened.
This part has not happened, for all I know: the dummy corporations meticulously sift through these dossiers and then use dummy individuals to file false unemployment and disability claims against the Social Security "accounts" it has siphoned away numbers for, then wrecking their credit ratings. A company could sell stolen SSN's to third-parties willing to drift from place to place filing claims under multiple identities; the company could make its buck and disappear fast while the marketed identities are bled dry.
The amount of money to be stolen is far less than what could be scored by opening fraudulent credit cards or draining real bank accounts, but this lesser booty is easier to get away with. For anyone looking for it, fraudulent credit activity is easy to spot, by contacting the same credit bureaus in the first place. But how would you find out that someone has filed an unemployment claim as you? How would you know that this "account" you've created for yourself is being depleted, and when? And if you do find out, can you challenge the Social Security Administration so your own legitimate unemployment or disability claim will be honored? What will stop a third-party from holding on to a stolen identity for re-use a few years down the road?
Can't happen, right?
Then convince me there will be no crisis---that millions of retirees-to-be won't insist that Social Security accounts be privatized, one way or another, so an accountable private firm will be responsible for paying out, with stronger protections against fraud than what Social Security provides today. The crisis could be big enough to crater Social Security, if one out of, say, four people expecting SS benefits loses even a part of them because of fraud. That's probably enough for the House to draw the line, deny responsibility, and refuse to appropriate funds to repair the mess. Now who has reduced Grandma to eating dog food and living in a fridge box?
As far as I know, SS isn't even obligated to give you a new account number after an identity theft. Only if you are a victim of domestic abuse and you need to change numbers to hide from your ex. Hey, wait a minute . . . If the Social Security Administration admits that you might need to change your SSAN the better to hide yourself and kids from an abusive domestic partner, aren't they admitting that minor criminals commonly misuse the SSAN? Not to say that domestic abuse is a minor crime, but that it doesn't take Dr Evil's or the Russian mafia's vast worldwide criminal enterprises to exploit the weaknesses of the SSAN; all one needs is a bad temper and a private investigator.
All well and good, one might conclude, funds are forecast to be plentiful in that lockbox-thingy until, uh, about the year that I might be retiring. Until then, there is no crisis, no reason to be discomfited, no reason to act. Heck, I even think the GOP is floating this idea not to save Sosh Scurty, but to shut it down.
OK, well how about this scenario?
A dummy corporation, in fact a network of dummy corporations, obtains credentials to do business with a major credit reporting agency (HT, Rick Stanley), thus getting access to the vast databases maintained on every person who has or at one time had a loan, credit card, bankruptcy, judgment, or bank account anywhere in the United States in the last 50 years or served in her armed forces since the 1970s. This much has happened.
This part has not happened, for all I know: the dummy corporations meticulously sift through these dossiers and then use dummy individuals to file false unemployment and disability claims against the Social Security "accounts" it has siphoned away numbers for, then wrecking their credit ratings. A company could sell stolen SSN's to third-parties willing to drift from place to place filing claims under multiple identities; the company could make its buck and disappear fast while the marketed identities are bled dry.
The amount of money to be stolen is far less than what could be scored by opening fraudulent credit cards or draining real bank accounts, but this lesser booty is easier to get away with. For anyone looking for it, fraudulent credit activity is easy to spot, by contacting the same credit bureaus in the first place. But how would you find out that someone has filed an unemployment claim as you? How would you know that this "account" you've created for yourself is being depleted, and when? And if you do find out, can you challenge the Social Security Administration so your own legitimate unemployment or disability claim will be honored? What will stop a third-party from holding on to a stolen identity for re-use a few years down the road?
Can't happen, right?
Then convince me there will be no crisis---that millions of retirees-to-be won't insist that Social Security accounts be privatized, one way or another, so an accountable private firm will be responsible for paying out, with stronger protections against fraud than what Social Security provides today. The crisis could be big enough to crater Social Security, if one out of, say, four people expecting SS benefits loses even a part of them because of fraud. That's probably enough for the House to draw the line, deny responsibility, and refuse to appropriate funds to repair the mess. Now who has reduced Grandma to eating dog food and living in a fridge box?
As far as I know, SS isn't even obligated to give you a new account number after an identity theft. Only if you are a victim of domestic abuse and you need to change numbers to hide from your ex. Hey, wait a minute . . . If the Social Security Administration admits that you might need to change your SSAN the better to hide yourself and kids from an abusive domestic partner, aren't they admitting that minor criminals commonly misuse the SSAN? Not to say that domestic abuse is a minor crime, but that it doesn't take Dr Evil's or the Russian mafia's vast worldwide criminal enterprises to exploit the weaknesses of the SSAN; all one needs is a bad temper and a private investigator.
20050214
But would he accept? (updated)
I recently posted on the topic of nominating somebody to the National Rifle Association Board of Directors who has his head on straight about gun rights and political strategies the NRA should pursue to secure them. The idea was floated of drafting someone from among the gun bloggers.
While reviewing the NRA BOD candidates' nominations, it occurs to me that I missed mentioning one candidate who carries respectable credentials.
Well, nobody else from our crowd is bowling the rest of us over to seek the nomination (are they?). And my offer to serve as Director of TSA on the Lucas ticket just didn't garner enough enthusiasm for me to pursue it any further.
Fer Chrissakes, if bloggers can take down a CNN executive (actually, he took himself down but bloggers held the knife steady for him) or depose a Senator from a key leadership position (he took himself down too, but you get what I mean by now), can't we put a fin on the NRA BOD?
Update: It only took two comments equating me with the fraudulent Libertarian Girl for me to realize that I can't have both pseudonymity as a blogger, and public responsibility as either a United States Senator, or as a Director on the NRA Board. I'm staying pseudonymous for reasons I've made clear elsewhere, and those reasons are incompatible with either of those lofty public goals. I'm not abandoning those goals, merely deferring them until the day I become Fuz N. Pundit, USAF Retired and hang up the uniform for the last time.
Until then, I will ruminate on these pages about what I'd do in that hazy scotch-soaked future, but will not tease or coyly suggest my candidacy. That doesn't stop me from suggesting a draft of blogger or bloggers who proudly go public.
While reviewing the NRA BOD candidates' nominations, it occurs to me that I missed mentioning one candidate who carries respectable credentials.
NRA Life Member. Citizen-soldier for 24 years, Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, currently serving the US Air Force in active reserve capacity as an emergency preparedness specialist. Shooting enthusiast, web logger, commentator about the Right to be Left Alone. Second-degree black belt in Taekwon Do. Father of four, homebrewer, reloader, hunter, avid owner and defender of several evil-looking black guns that are not for hunting at all but were purchased expressly to practice shooting bipeds.
Well, nobody else from our crowd is bowling the rest of us over to seek the nomination (are they?). And my offer to serve as Director of TSA on the Lucas ticket just didn't garner enough enthusiasm for me to pursue it any further.
Fer Chrissakes, if bloggers can take down a CNN executive (actually, he took himself down but bloggers held the knife steady for him) or depose a Senator from a key leadership position (he took himself down too, but you get what I mean by now), can't we put a fin on the NRA BOD?
Update: It only took two comments equating me with the fraudulent Libertarian Girl for me to realize that I can't have both pseudonymity as a blogger, and public responsibility as either a United States Senator, or as a Director on the NRA Board. I'm staying pseudonymous for reasons I've made clear elsewhere, and those reasons are incompatible with either of those lofty public goals. I'm not abandoning those goals, merely deferring them until the day I become Fuz N. Pundit, USAF Retired and hang up the uniform for the last time.
Until then, I will ruminate on these pages about what I'd do in that hazy scotch-soaked future, but will not tease or coyly suggest my candidacy. That doesn't stop me from suggesting a draft of blogger or bloggers who proudly go public.
20050212
Giving Uncle 3 more years
I reupped some time ago, neglected to post anything about it, until Barbaloot discovered the photo, taken before the memorial wall at our Wing.
20050210
If only the Donks would . . .
Bill Bennett mentioned yesterday that he would try his hand at a Twenty-First Century manifesto for the Democrat party. I think Hugh Hewitt would try the same. Doubtless other bloggers and commentators have suggested it too.
"The Democrats could be a resurgent political force in the United States if only they would," [fill in the blank with your favorite killer policy prescription].
If only the Donkeys would embrace genuine tax reform and win back the small businessmen and the widows'n'orphans and the IRS victims. If only they'd pick up and run with Second Amendment rights, and recover their union rank-and-file base. If only they'd drop the pretense at Drug Warrior and stop incarcerating whole generations of black males. If only they'd give up their current infatuation with coastal elites and academics, and return to their roots among blue-collars and farmers.
If only. If only.
Every WUTT! reader has his favorite, the one sure thing that would turn the Donks' fortunes around. And I have mine.
It's not much.
Eminent domain abuse.
How better to reach out to Maw and Paw Heartland than to say "We Donkeys are really really upset, deeply livid in fact, that Big Corporations are suborning local governments into kicking ordinary people out of their houses to make way for condos, shopping malls, parking garages, and so forth. It's nothing but Corporate Welfare, and we Donks don't stand for it."
SayUncle is all over this, and so is the Institute for Justice.
None of the if-only policy proposals I've heard so far is utterly impossible for the Democrats, even an eminent-domain reform platform that runs afoul of the enviros, or a pro-gun platform that would hospitalize Chuck Schumer. Some Party leaders would be alienated, of course, but they'd come around, as they just might in '06 when Tom Daschle makes the rounds like a macabre breathing Marley's ghost and gets them thinking right about the fundamental problem, the only problem really, that of Staying In Office.
My greatest concern from all of this is that with such an opposition, the GOP can make a serious mistake and fail to realize it until it's too late. Like in the Colorado legislature this year, for example. From the point of view of individual rights and the free market, the GOP may be second-rate firemen, but the Donks are first-rate arsonists.
How about a little fire, Scarecrow?
"The Democrats could be a resurgent political force in the United States if only they would," [fill in the blank with your favorite killer policy prescription].
If only the Donkeys would embrace genuine tax reform and win back the small businessmen and the widows'n'orphans and the IRS victims. If only they'd pick up and run with Second Amendment rights, and recover their union rank-and-file base. If only they'd drop the pretense at Drug Warrior and stop incarcerating whole generations of black males. If only they'd give up their current infatuation with coastal elites and academics, and return to their roots among blue-collars and farmers.
If only. If only.
Every WUTT! reader has his favorite, the one sure thing that would turn the Donks' fortunes around. And I have mine.
It's not much.
Eminent domain abuse.
How better to reach out to Maw and Paw Heartland than to say "We Donkeys are really really upset, deeply livid in fact, that Big Corporations are suborning local governments into kicking ordinary people out of their houses to make way for condos, shopping malls, parking garages, and so forth. It's nothing but Corporate Welfare, and we Donks don't stand for it."
SayUncle is all over this, and so is the Institute for Justice.
None of the if-only policy proposals I've heard so far is utterly impossible for the Democrats, even an eminent-domain reform platform that runs afoul of the enviros, or a pro-gun platform that would hospitalize Chuck Schumer. Some Party leaders would be alienated, of course, but they'd come around, as they just might in '06 when Tom Daschle makes the rounds like a macabre breathing Marley's ghost and gets them thinking right about the fundamental problem, the only problem really, that of Staying In Office.
My greatest concern from all of this is that with such an opposition, the GOP can make a serious mistake and fail to realize it until it's too late. Like in the Colorado legislature this year, for example. From the point of view of individual rights and the free market, the GOP may be second-rate firemen, but the Donks are first-rate arsonists.
How about a little fire, Scarecrow?
So how come . . .
Bifocal spectacles have the lower portion of the lenses cut to a higher magnification, so someone with weaker muscles in the eye can focus more easily on fine print that is close to the eyes.
All well and good, I suppose, as long as the reader holds his head upright and trains himself to look downward. Then a good portion of his visual field is magnified, even though only the reading material that needs magnification is only a small sub-portion of that portion of the visual field. For other visual tasks at greater distances, the added magnification is useless and even gets in the way.
Bifocals could be made less awkward by limiting them to the field of view that a reader is likely to need. To wit, if the magnification is needed only for materials that are closer, then put the magnification in the area of the lenses that both eyes will be looking through when they are focused on closer objects. Eyes converge---point inward---on nearer material. So move the magnification areas closer to the nose, a little higher, and a lot smaller. They'll be where the eyes need them when reading, and out of the way for distant vision or for tracking moving objects.
If I get time I'll sketch what I mean.
All well and good, I suppose, as long as the reader holds his head upright and trains himself to look downward. Then a good portion of his visual field is magnified, even though only the reading material that needs magnification is only a small sub-portion of that portion of the visual field. For other visual tasks at greater distances, the added magnification is useless and even gets in the way.
Bifocals could be made less awkward by limiting them to the field of view that a reader is likely to need. To wit, if the magnification is needed only for materials that are closer, then put the magnification in the area of the lenses that both eyes will be looking through when they are focused on closer objects. Eyes converge---point inward---on nearer material. So move the magnification areas closer to the nose, a little higher, and a lot smaller. They'll be where the eyes need them when reading, and out of the way for distant vision or for tracking moving objects.
If I get time I'll sketch what I mean.
Dr Freud, your slip is showing
A colleague snorted after a news story about another wedding for the British Royals, "I wonder what color of dress she'll wear."
I blurted out off-white colors that indicate less than the expected premarital purity, "Cream? Bone?"
I blurted out off-white colors that indicate less than the expected premarital purity, "Cream? Bone?"
This is virtually a concession
Also seen at VC:
I see this as a major concession of legitimacy by the antigun crowd, tantamount to "You might have a point there." It's that niggling word "arguable" that Eugene used. English 1 students will recognize that adjective. Up to this point, antigunners would not allow that term to be used, meaning that a literal understanding of the Second Amendment would not be allowed on the table.
From here it's a matter of continued pressure. Be of good cheer and unrelenting energy.
Both opinions [in the DC handgun ban case] acknowledge that the Second Amendment challenge raises an arguable constitutional question
I see this as a major concession of legitimacy by the antigun crowd, tantamount to "You might have a point there." It's that niggling word "arguable" that Eugene used. English 1 students will recognize that adjective. Up to this point, antigunners would not allow that term to be used, meaning that a literal understanding of the Second Amendment would not be allowed on the table.
From here it's a matter of continued pressure. Be of good cheer and unrelenting energy.
Whew
From Volokh Conspiracy:
This doesn't mean anything for me directly, but it should spare other blogs of any trouble from comments I might post there. I wouldn't want that on my conscience.
The New Jersey Appellate Division has just held ... that a federal statute - 47 U.S.C. sec. 230 - makes Web site operators immune from defamation liability based on items posted by users, even when the operator keeps some messages and deletes others, changes some messages, sets ground rules for the discussion, and so on. This would also mean that bloggers are immune from liability based on comments posted by others on their blogs.
This doesn't mean anything for me directly, but it should spare other blogs of any trouble from comments I might post there. I wouldn't want that on my conscience.
20050209
It's gonna be a good season, Mama. Look at the whiskers on them cats
At my age, and in my current occupation, one quickly understands that one's wisdom is grounded in knowing what one does not know.
By that standard, today is a good day, because not only do I know what I don't know, but I seem to not know less that I thought I didn't.
Should I let anyone else know this?
By that standard, today is a good day, because not only do I know what I don't know, but I seem to not know less that I thought I didn't.
Should I let anyone else know this?
20050204
A new favorite
I'm sure that President Bush would not nominate him, but Andrew Napolitano deserves an appointment to the Federal bench somewhere.
Read his interview in Reason's February issue (not yet online).
Read his interview in Reason's February issue (not yet online).
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