Window Shopping

I went to the range today to fire my S&W Model 1917; on the way I stopped in at the gun shop down the street. They're remodeling the entire place, opening it up for more display space and putting out more stock.

They have these two items out on display now. They weren't there six weeks ago when I last stopped in.

The top one is a MG-42, a semiauto version of the German Army's belt fed 7.92 mm, 1,200 to 1,500 rpm machine gun. Yours for $3,600. The front sight is used to change the cycle rate of the gun.

Next to the MG-42 there is a wheel-mounted MG - a WWII SG-43 Goryunov - 7.62 x 54mm belt fed semiautomatic version. The shield has two dents in it that look like they were caused by gun fire. Below is a better picture of the weapon from this site.

While wandering around the shop's disarray, I picked up a used shoulder holster for my 1911.

I am also looking at a used Glock model 30. I just can't seem to stay away from the .45's.

True Colors

With Iran teetering on the brink of a revolution, our gutless Muslim-In-Chief defers from entering the fray. Remember the sixties? Remember the colleges seething with unrest? The demonstrations? The violence? Remember how the hippies who later became Congressmen and community organizers were so energized by this? Remember how these events changed American foreign policy?
That is where Iran is today. This is an historic opportunity to destabilize and perhaps completely neutralize an outlaw regime that has participated in the murder of thousands of innocent victims, as well as US servicemen, through its financial and logistical support of terrorism. This is an opportunity that was afforded by Bush The Younger's policies. And it is going down the tubes.

The Muslim-In-Chief's concern about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons is a sham. It's just another one of his Mussolini-style head shakes as he goes for the basket.
Charles Krauthammer has an excellent op-ed piece in today's Washington Post regarding how this once in a lifetime opportunity is being squashed.

This started out about election fraud. But like all revolutions, it has far outgrown its origins. What's at stake now is the very legitimacy of this regime -- and the future of the entire Middle East.

This revolution will end either as a Tiananmen (a hot Tiananmen with massive and bloody repression or a cold Tiananmen with a finer mix of brutality and co-optation) or as a true revolution that brings down the Islamic Republic.

The latter is improbable but, for the first time in 30 years, not impossible. Imagine the repercussions. It would mark a decisive blow to Islamist radicalism, of which Iran today is not just standard-bearer and model, but financier and arms supplier. It would do to Islamism what the collapse of the Soviet Union did to communism -- leave it forever spent and discredited.

[...] And what side is the Obama administration taking? None. Except for the desire that this "vigorous debate" (press secretary Robert Gibbs's disgraceful euphemism) over election "irregularities" not stand in the way of U.S.-Iranian engagement on nuclear weapons..

"Vigorous debate" is how the Obama administration labels the cries of millions of oppressed people who finally have run out of patience with their corrupt leaders. Millions marching in the streets and this clown calls it vigorous debate. What will he call it when the streets run with blood as government sponsored Irani thugs up the debate a notch? "Lively persuasive tactics?" or perhaps "strenuous disputation?" Obama's press hand puppet would have called WWII a "discourteous manifestation of international dissension."

Remember, this is the very same administration that labelled protests a form of "low-level terrorism" in a Pentagon refresher on terrorism. But I guess that only applies when the protests occur in the United States against the current President's policies.

The question read: "Which of the following is an example of low-level terrorism activity?"

Test takers had four choices: "Attacking the Pentagon," "IEDs," "Hate crimes against racial groups," and "Protests."

The correct answer to the question was "Protests."

Quoth Charles Krauthammer:

And where is our president? Afraid of "meddling." Afraid to take sides between the head-breaking, women-shackling exporters of terror -- and the people in the street yearning to breathe free. This from a president who fancies himself the restorer of America's moral standing in the world.

I vehemently disagree. The President has taken sides. He has sided with the purveyors of terror. He has sided with murderers of gays (what else do you do with unused construction equipment?) and he supports treating women like chattel.


He has sided with his birthright and his upbringing, he has chosen the side of Islamic and socialist radicals.

An Open Letter To Senator Barbara Boxer

Senator Barbara Boxer,

I find that your response to Brigadier General Michael Walsh was unseemly.

The General addressed you in a manner that was completely courteous and correct, a fact that you seem to be ignorant of.

I can assure you that the hard work you seem so proud of was nothing in comparison to the work that the General has been doing for the past twenty odd years.

Please, from now on, when you demonstrate your insecurity, do it in private so I am not troubled by your inadequacies.

Venting

I finished two major projects in the past two days. Over the last 22 years I have spent way too many hours peering into an LCD monitor composing official documents' creating databases and spreadsheets. My neck is killing me. I left work early to see my chiropractor who informs me that the next step is deep tissue message then to inject cortisone into my vertebrae or possible surgery. When I turn my head it sounds like someone is crunching a bag of potato chips. Several times a day something catches and it feels like someone rammed a knife into my neck.

So I'm in a piss poor mood to begin with. Now I hear that North Korea may launch one of their Taepodong-2 rockets at Hawai on the 4th of July. Someone has to step on that poofy-haired cockroach running that pisspot country and setttle his hash once and for all.

I read that Iran maybe coming apart at the seams after that murderous terrorist running the show over there falsified voting results - many Iranian polling stations are reporting ballot returns that are 120% to 140 % higher than the number of registered voters. in their districts. About 100,000 Iranians protested today in Tehran. Every single one of them should march over to the palace or ministry hall, or wherever asshole Ahmadinejad hangs his hat, and step on that cockroach.

It is now after dinner and I am watching Fox News; they're showing video of stinking Palestinian terrorists using horses in the Gaza Strip to attack Iraelis. They strap explosives to the poor beasts and away they go. Those cockroaches need to leave those beautiful animals alone so they can run up and down the Mediterrean beaches and frolic in the surf. Then the Israelis need to step on those stinking cockroaches and settle their shit once and for all.

And because I just ate dinner, this next item kinda turns my stomache. Fox News also had this little item buried away, hidden under some story about a US Senator screwing some other guy's wife. Whatta surprise. But this story is also about sperm, freaking giant grab you by the throat and shake your ass sperm.

Called Harbinia micropapillosa, the tiny organism now found to bear evidence of degraded sperm was also an ostracod, crustaceans ranging in size from smaller than a poppy seed to as large as a meatball. The organisms are still around on Earth today and are equipped with up to eight pairs of appendages along their bivalve bodies.

They are known for their supersized sperm relative to their body size, reaching a record-breaking 10 body lengths, or 0.2 inches in Propontocypris monstrosa. The males are likewise well-endowed, having correspondingly large copulatory organs to cope with their sperm, said lead researcher Renate Matzke-Karasz of Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. (When sperm length reaches that of the organism's body, it can arguably be called "giant," Matzke-Karasz said.)

Okay, maybe not that big but if the average American male had a set of cojones big enough to produce a proportionate sperm, he'd need a flatbed trailor anda payloader in the bedroom to deliver, well - the whole package. This is just plan gross and scary and I'm glad that someone already stepped on these cockroaches. Nothing worse than little tiny cockroaches running around with giant peckers.

If anything else pisses me off I'll let you know.

UPDATE - Okay, something in the paper made me feel better. Some guy, John More, just celebrated his 105th birthday. He is from Monopoli, Bari, Italy. That's where my wife's grandparents lived before emigrating to the US in the 1920's. Now I feel more confident that she'll be around to wait on me hand and foot until I decide to kick off. Life is good.

Elmer Fudd's Widow Arrested

Tigard, Oregon - Tigard police Sgt. Ronald Dunworthy announced today that a six week long animal abuse investigation culminated in the arrest of Mrs. Ernestine Fudd, widow of famous small game hunter Elmer Fudd.

Elmer was best known for his inability to correctly pronounce the letter "r" and his almost mystical ability to fire hundreds of rounds of double ought buck from a double barrel shotgun without reloading.

TIGARD, Ore. (AP) - Authorities said a woman obsessed with rabbits is in trouble again: In violation of probation terms, she was found holed up in a hotel room with more than a dozen rabbits. Officers said they had to break into the room Tuesday and found eight adults and half a dozen baby rabbits, one dead. The police say some were caged, some roaming.

The cause of the baby rabbit's death is still under investigation. Preliminary reports from the coroner's office indicate that unauthorized home pregnancy tests are suspected. When asked to provide more details, Sgt Dunworth would only comment that reporters should "try to say 'raunchy rowdy rabid rabbits really rock' three times real fast!"

They arrested 47-year-old Miriam Sakewitz. [obviously an alias ~ sig94]

She was arrested in 2007 with more than 250 rabbits in squalid conditions. In a plea deal, she was forbidden to have animals for five years. Before her conviction, police said, she broke into a holding area to retrieve her rabbits.

This incident became a part of popular culture wnen it spawned the cult hit song "Rabid Rabbit Transit."

Four months after the plea deal, she was sent to jail for three days for having a rabbit.

The City of Tigard was abuzz for weeks after Ms. Sakewitz gave birth to a healthy two ounce baby rabbit. She was arrested after authorites determined that the father, a Giant Chinchilla, was under age.

Mrs. Ernestine Fudd, aka Miriam Sakewitz.

Mrs. Fudd's unnatural relationship with rabbits was thought to have caused her husband's violent, compulsive hunting frenzies that ultimately led to his suicide.

The Crazy Aunt

The nanny state is never satisfied. Like an insane aunt who finally escapes from the attic and screams at her nephews not to run with sissors, the Brits are now examining a knife that makes it very difficult to stab someone. All the designer did was round off the pointy end so you have to really work at it to stab someone to death. The assailant will have to pound the knife into your chest. Or just use the sharp cutting edge to slit your throat. And it will cost about $73 (45 English pounds).

Do you have any idea how long it woud take me to put a sharp point on that knife with a grind stone? I figure my basement electric grinder could do the job in less than twenty seconds. It would take longer to refinish the edge on my lawnmower blade.

3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Blast Off

I was schlepping around over to subvet's joint where I read that:

The Acting Administrator of NASA and the Equal Opportunity Programs Office at Goddard Space Flight Center have encouraged agency employees to take part in “LGBT Pride Month,” leading to criticism that the action takes the space agency “completely off-mission” and promotes homosexual activism.

This is part of Obama's stimulus plan. He wants the nation's perverts to get as stimulated as possible.

The NASA administrator, Acting Chief Christopher J. Scolese, emailed his subordinates instructing them to:

“Take time to learn about the contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, and celebrate the diversity that has helped shape and strengthen NASA and our nation.”

Learn about their contributions? You can learn all you want to know, and then some, just by bending over in the shower room of any one of our nation's correctional facilities.

And how has this diversity strengthened anything other than HIV testing procedures at blood donor sites?

Maybe the "wide stance launch mode" is more popular than we imagined in some of NASA's men's rooms.

The story was broken by the CNA, here.

Just Stuff

Chastity Bono, the daughter son of Sonny and Cher, has decided that she he is a him and will undergo "gender reassignment." Him's first name from now on will now be Bob.

An Italian woman who was late for her flight, thus avoiding death on the ill fated Flight 447 last week, has been killed in a car accident.

Johanna Ganthaler, a pensioner from Bolzano-Bozen province, had been on holiday in Brazil with her husband Kurt and missed Air France Flight 447 after turning up late at Rio de Janeiro airport on May 31.

[...] It said that Ms Ganthaler died when their car veered across a road in Kufstein, Austria, and swerved into an oncoming truck. Her husband was seriously injured.

The plate number on the truck that she hit was SORYIMISEDU-447. Strange, very strange indeed.

An English student, who was attacked by three thugs who cut one of his ears off, had the ear reattached ... to his stomache.

Because the ear was not found for 17 hours, surgeons could not immediately reattach it.

Instead, doctors stitched it inside his stomach so some of the tissue will re-grow. The plan is to then reconstruct the ear using some of the cartilage from 26-year-old Mr Gibbs's ribcage.

Nothing funny here.

And from the KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:

Ambassador Daulat Hotma Audison Passaribu and staff members of the Indonesian embassy here did a friendly work at the DPRK-Indonesia Friendship Yaksu Co-op Farm in Kangso County, South Phyongan Province, Wednesday.

They helped farmers in weeding a maize field.

During a break they sang songs and conversed with farmers, deepening the friendship.

They handed aid materials to the farm.

After they did their friendly work and sang maize infected songs the Ambassador and his staff were shot.

In Memoriam - Kill Your Child

In honor of Doctor Tiller, the murdered abortionist, yesterday the Philadelphia WOmen's Center offered free abortions. Come one, come all. Custom fitted forceps. Designer stirrups.

The Philadelphia Women’s Center gave away free abortions Tuesday in honor of Dr. George Tiller, the abortionist who was murdered last week by an anti-abortion
extremist.

A worker at the clinic said that an unspecified number of free abortions had been performed during the day, but that they had stopped giving them away by late afternoon.

Maybe their vacuum cleaner broke or the dumpster lid got all jammed up.

She also said that there had not been free abortion giveaways in the past, and that there were no plans to give any away in the future. Under normal circumstances, abortions would not be au gratis at the clinic.

Whoa, for a minute there I thought she said, "Au gratin." Never know what those wild and wacky fellows will do with the remains. Inventive bastards.

In all other respects, this was a bizarre, obscene observance.

A dark, dark exclamation point to the end of a man's life; a man who dedicated his professional, healing skills to the delivery of death.

Upgrade

I have maintained all along that I am blog challenged. I upgraded my template to a layout and I lost my prior comments which were in Haloscan. I will try to restore them.

If someone (anyone!) knows how to do this, please give me a holler.

UPDATE: I reloaded Haloscan but I think it did not link correctly or it is a fresh program code load and does not bring the old comments with it.

Hey, Check Out My New...

I have done a bunch of stupid things over the years and, for the most part, I would just as soon forget I ever did them. I certainly would not choose to distribute these memories across the vast expanse of the internet. Yet that is exactly what some folk do. Like this guy. For what you are about to see, thank my buddy Al, another retired cop.


Something went very wrong here. No degree in brain surgery required, just look at the hole in the sneaker. Looks like a .45 caliber hole.

Ooops. First the front.

Then the back.

I think that bit o'white neath the nail is bone.

In The Land Of Hookers

Really, why play with yourself in the Land O' Cheap Hookers?

David Carradine's death in Bangkok should probably be classified as "sexual misadventure" and let his relatives retire into the shadows to deal with the grief and shame.

Law enforcement has been dealing with these kinds of deaths for decades. I remember when the first local case happened in the early-80's when a 12 year old boy hung himself with a jump rope while amusing himself over a lingerie catalogue. It is called auto-erotic asphyxiation.

We also had a suspicious death in the late 70's where a half naked victim was found with a thin cord wrapped around his neck; the body was dumped outside the city. Allegedly the victim was attending a party when the "accident" occured. This is called "asphyxiaphilia" when two people are involved and one is depriving the other of oxygen - more commonly referred to as choking.

Supposedly this activity heightens the sexual experience. I have absolutely no idea if this is true and I have no interest in obtaining first hand knowledge.

As evidence technicians we have to respond to all kinds of embarrassing investigations, - embarrassing to the family - when brother, dad or grand dad checks out in the middle of something that they would rather their family not find out.

This is a dangerous activity as there is only a three minute window to restore Oh Two to the chokee. Anything after that and there will most likely be brain damage - or death.

Which brings me to this point. Why in the world did a guy like Carradine bother with this auto erotic stuff when he had easy and inexpensive access to any number of prostitutes?

There are on line instruction manuals on how to get laid in Thailand for crying out loud. There are Thai bars that openly advertise for perverts. A short time girl (2 - 3 hours) will run 350 baht. A baht is just under 3 cents.

Do the math (it's less than $3.50) - so for five bucks you can have a Happy Meal ™ too.

Leave the jump rope at home in the kids' toy box.

An Elephant's Faithful 100%

I gained a lot of weight after I stopped smoking.

Once or twice a month I find myself in this situation...

The neighbors raise all kindsa hell at the braying and trumpeting.

A big H/T to Charlie the Cop.

Obama Man

This is a great video clip! The Obama Man...

When Soldiers Have Too Much Time On Their Hands

Her buddies stuffed her into a dryer in the barracks dorm.

She fits pretty good.

Glad to see she's still flexible.

The Model 1917

This is my newest stimulus to the firearms industry - a nickel plated S&W mod 1917 in 45 ACP .

I bought it today and as soon as I get my permit amended I'll bring it home, probably Monday or Tuesday.

The model 1917 was introduced to supplement the 1911 semiautomatic Colt pistol during WWI. It uses moon clips to load the .45 ACP cartridge (which are rimless).

These clips can be bent, introducing primer strike problems. Therefore under combat conditions this is not the most reliable weapon to have at your side. There are .45 auto rim cartridges which do not need the clip but these are very hard to find.

From the William B. Umstead World War I Collection, North Carolina Collection Gallery, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill:

American soldiers after World War I were allowed to keep the bulk of their military gear and clothing after they were discharged. Government-issued side arms and some other items, however, had to be purchased. On the day of his discharge at Camp (now Fort) Dix, New Jersey, on April 9, 1919, Umstead paid eighteen dollars for his 45-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver (U.S. Model 1917), its holster, and belt. [...] The serial number on Umstead's revolver—12375—confirms that it was made fairly early in the weapon's production run. Smith & Wesson manufactured 169,959 Model 1917 revolvers before the United States government cancelled its contract with the company in January 1919.

In the 1950's and 1960's mail order companies were selling these WWI relics for as low as $50, perhaps even less.

Texans, Ya Gotta Love 'Em

In San Antonio, TX, a would be robber met his match inside a pharmacy.

The robbery suspect entered the Babcock Square Pharmacy around 9 a.m. at 5824 Babcock Rd. Inside were the owner/pharmacist, his wife, and an employee. The employee saw the man had a gun and told the pharmacist, who then pulled out his own handgun.

Seeing this, the robber reportedly responded by saying “Let’s get it on.” That’s when the owner shot him. The man died inside the business.

He might as well have said, "Let's get dead."

Idiots with guns deserve to die.

Minty Fresh Nostrils

From the UK Telegraph - some items that formerly belonged to Elvis Presley are going on the auctioneer's block. These items now belong to Elvis' former personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos.

One item is a sinus douche, pictured below.
I kid you not.
Dr. Nichopoulus kept this puppy near and dear to him since Presley's death in 1977, almost 32 years ago.
I had no idea they made such things. It looks like it could be used in waterboarding.

There appears to be a garden hose or air compressor attachment in the middle.

Some Honest Advice

According to Snopes, the following letters are real. The response to the letter from the President of General Motors was written in December, 2008 by the President of this company. His name is Greg Knox. This is his picture. Greg is the real deal.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Employees & Suppliers,

Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis.As an employee or supplier, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices.

I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.
Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.

Troy Clarke
President,
General Motors North America
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Response from:

Gregory Knox, Pres.
Knox Machinery Company
Franklin , Ohio

Gentlemen:
In response to your request to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America.

Politicians and Management of the Big 3 are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like cancerous germs in 20 UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new "messiah," Pres-elect Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream." Believe me folks, The dream is over!

This dream where we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities. This dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products for ever and ever.

Don't even think about telling me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle, and countless other automotive OEM's throughout the Midwest , during the past 30 years and what I've seen over those years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America, states: "There is widespread sentiment throughout this country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly is not." You're right Mr. Clarke, it's not JUST management.

How about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour work week.

How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics for putting out too many parts on a shift and for being too productive.(We certainly must not expose those lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?) Do you folks really not know about this stuff?

How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea: "over the last few years we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors." What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them? The K car vs. the Accord? The Pinto vs. the Civic?!? Do I need to go on? What a joke!

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. It's time to pay for your sins, Detroit .

I attended an economic summit last week where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend Research , surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money." "Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems," but despite what people like politicians and corporate magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day and the following very important thing would happen. Where there had been greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up. That is how a free market system works. It does work if we would only let it work."

But for some nondescript reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work - that we need the government to step in and "save us". Save us my ass, Hell - we're nationalizing and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation's citizens don't even have a clue that this is what is really happening.

But, they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams.
Yeah - THAT'S really important, isn't it?

Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades in this country? How can that be??? Let's see. Fuel efficient. Listening to customers. Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul.

Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr.. W Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity through quality and intelligent planning. Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy." Efficient front and back offices. Non union environment.

Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know down deep in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did when I was their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through it. Radical concept, huh. Am I there for them in the wings? Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults.

I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government. Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins.

Bad news people - it's coming whether we like it or not the newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away." I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the final vote count was tallied. "We really might not do it in a year or in four." Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for office.

Stop trying to put off the inevitable folks. That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000. People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits. That job driving that forklift for the Big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year. We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe. That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home.

Let the market correct itself folks - it will.. Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna' be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has and doesn't live beyond its means and gets back to basics and redevelops the patriotic work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world and probably turns back to God..

Sorry - don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news". I hope you take it to heart.

Gregory J. Knox, President
Knox Machinery, Inc.
Franklin , Ohio 45005

Amazing Facts

What is true and what isn't?

Orcas (killer whales), when traveling in groups, breathe in unison
In 2002, the most popular boat name in the U.S. was Liberty
One out of 20 people have an extra rib
Prior to 1966, TV dinners were only available in black and white
44% of kids watch television before they go to sleep
In 1865, the U.S. Secret Service was established to combat the counterfeiting of money
One out of every 50,000 shrimp is born already breaded
Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents
Japanese research has concluded that moderate drinking can boost IQ levels
Carpenter ants have been used to close wounds in India, Asia and South America
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes
The first couple to be shown on a sitcom sleeping in the same bed was "Mary Kay and Johnny."
In 2005, snow ants were responsible for collapsing 137 Eskimo igloos in Alaska
Asthma affects one in fifteen children under the age of eighteen
A one ounce milk chocolate bar has 6 mg of caffeine

The true stuff I got from here; the made up stuff I got from my wife's cousin who is crazy as a loon.

To Those Who Are, And Were, Soldiers

Sgt. MacKenzie

Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone

When they come I will stand my ground
Stand my ground I’ll not be afraid
Thoughts of home take away my fear
Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears

Once a year say a prayer for me
Close your eyes and remember me
Never more shall I see the sun
For I fell to a Germans gun

Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone

Where before many more have gone

In memory of Sgt. Charles Stuart MacKenzie
Seaforth Highlanders
Who along with many others gave up his life
So that we can live free
We will remember them

Abe Lincoln Was A Very Wise Man

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. " -A. Lincoln

This truly scares me for I have seen this transformation already.

As a nation we are gone in another 50 years.

Get On With It Asshole

There you are, minding your own business, standing on a bridge railing on the Haizhu Bridge in Guangzhou in southeast China (about 75 miles NW of Hong Kong), overlooking a precipice.

You are contemplating whether or not to take that final step into Eternity. Thoughts of lost loved ones, past failures, future disappointments and present woes flood your thought processes. What are you thinking.

Is there an Afterlife?
Will I see my loved ones again?
Is suicide a sin?
Is there General Tso's Chicken the way I like it on the Other Side?
Is there sex after Death?
Do I really want to have sex with a dead person?

You stand there for five hours contemplating these thoughts until some guy sitting in stalled traffic for those five soul-searching hours has finally had enough of your self-absorbed bull shit and tosses your ass off the bridge.

From the UK Telegraph:

Lian Jiansheng, 66, a retired soldier, broke through a police cordon and reached out to shake the hand of the would-be jumper, Chen Fuchao, before pushing him off the bridge.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interests," Mr Lai was quoted as saying by the China Daily newspaper.

He added: "They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."

Chen fell only 10 yards on to a partially inflated emergency air cushion and was treated in hospital with wrist and back injuries. Mr Lian was detained by police.

Chen, who said he had debts of two million yuan (£200,000) because of his involvement in a failed building project, was at least the twelfth person since early April to threaten suicide at the same spot, the Haizhu bridge in Guangzhou.

But none have jumped and - until Mr Lian gave Chen a helping hand - none have been pushed.

Good bye asshole.

1st & 2nd Amendments Combined

From Strategy Page.

If they could only somehow stick a blender on it so I could make a Smoothie™ at the same time.

Rejuvenate Your Eyeglasses

I was so disgusted.
I spent almost $400 on my last set of eeyeglass and in barely a year the lenses were so fouled up from little tiny scratches that I was peering through a haze. The eyeglass guy told me that the anti-reflective coating on my glasses was fragile and that it "checkers" when it gets scratched. Of course the warranty for the coating was only good for a year.

So I bought a replacement set of lens for an older set of spare glasses I had, but this time I ordered glass lens with no coatings smeared on them. The blasted things killed my ears and punched deep crevices in the bridge of my nose. I had them re-adjusted but after a half hour or so - same thing. I can almost use the dents in the bridge of my nose as foxholes.

So I went to the interweb tubes to see what could be done. I googled "scratched eyeglass lenses" and found a reference to Armor Etch. This is a glass etching cream that you place in a stencil over glass. Leave it in for five miinutes or so and it etches the stencil pattern into the glass.

But it also removes the anti-reflective coating from plastic or polycarbonate lenses.
Look here.

It really works like a charm. I got a 3 oz. bottle of Armor Etch from our near by artsy fartsy store (Michaels) for $15; ran home and cleaned my year-old messed up glasses real good. Then I smeared this stuff over one of my lens on both sides with a Q-Tip.

I left the etching solution on for about five minutes and then rinsed it off under running water, used some eyeglass cleaner to get the rest of it off and then dried the lens with one of the kids' old diapers that we keep stuffed in a kitchen drawer just for this purpose.

It was like a miracle. It took two sessions with the Armor Etch but all those scratches were completely gone. But something else showed up. The characters O and 22 now show up just where the progressive trifocal portion of the lens starts; it is off center to the exterior or "outside"side of the lens - on both lens in exactly the same spot. I really can't notice it when I am wearing them but I still wonder why those markings are there.

On The Case

Where's Columbo when we need him?

Ah . . Sorry to bother you Mr. Obama, Sir. . .Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean President Obama, Sir. Um . . I know you're busy, and important and stuff. I mean running the country is very important and -- ah -- I hate to bother you Sir. I will only take a minute. Ok Sir?

See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering Sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things.Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says boy she wishes she had digs like this you know?

Is that painting real? Really? Wow. I saw something like that in a museum once! Oh, sorry Sir. I didn't mean to get off the track. So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island Sir? No? I didn't think so...

Well, listen, anyway, I can't seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be "Not released" or "Not available." I'm sure it's just an oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are -- I -- I have them written down here somewhere -- oh wait. Sorry about the smears. It was raining out. I'll just read it to you. Could you please help me find these things Sir?

1. Occidental College records -- Not released

2. Columbia College records -- Not released

3. Columbia Thesis paper -- "Not available"

4. Harvard College records -- Not released

5. Selective Service Registration -- Not released

6. Medical records -- Not released

7. Illinois State Senate schedule -- Not available

8. Your Illinois State Senate records -- Not available

9. Law practice client list -- Not released

10. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate -- Not released

11. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth -- Not released

12. Record of your baptism -- Not available

Oh and one more thing, Sir, I can't seem to find any articles you published as editor of the Harvard Law Review, or as a Professor at the University of Chicago. Can you explain that to me, Sir? Oh but, hey -- listen! I know you're busy! If this is too much for you right now -- I mean -- tell you what. I'll come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, y' know? I mean, I know you're busy. I'll just let myself out. I'll be back tomorrow. And the day after...

What's that Mr. President? Who wants to know these things? We the People of the United States of America ! You know, the ones that vote.

Hat tip to my "big" Sis, Caren. Her birthday is eight days after mine and for that period of time - we are the same age. It used to be important.

Obama Reveals Himself

You can tell how a man thinks by the way he reveals his priorities, because his priorities are reflected in his actions. Obama today announced a measly $18 billion cut in his $3.4 trillion dollar budget.

But where did those cuts occur? Primarily at the expense of the military and the widows of slain police officers.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration wants to cut almost in half a benefits program for the families of slain police and safety officers.

The president's proposed budget calls for cutting the Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits Program from $110 million to $60 million.

Justice Department budget documents say the reduction is being made because "claims are anticipated to decrease" because the number of officers killed in the line of duty has been decreasing.

On the military side:

Obama would cut nearly $3.4 billion from proposed equipment purchases, such as the F-22 fighter plane and combat systems for vehicles, as well as recruitment and retention for the armed forces.

Widows and heroes, that's who he went after.

A Warning Shot

This is a double-edged news story.
Last month, April 16, the Governor of Montana signed legislation in effect defying federal firearms laws. Any weapons or ammunition that are manufactured in Montana and kept within the state are immune from federal regulation as there is no interstate commerce.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law a bill that aims to exempt Montana-made guns from federal regulation, adding firepower to a battery of legislative efforts to assert states’ rights across the nation.

“It’s a gun bill, but it’s another way of demonstrating the sovereignty of the state of Montana,” Democrat Schweitzer said.

Since the law applies only to those guns that are made and kept in Montana, its impact is limited. The state is home to just a handful of specialty gun makers, known for recreating rifles used to settle the West, and most of their customers are out-of-state.

But supporters of the new law hope it triggers a court case testing the legal basis for federal rules governing gun sales.

“What we need here is for Montana to be able to handle Montana’s business and affairs,” bill sponsor Rep. Joel Boniek, a Republican and wilderness guide from Livingston, told fellow lawmakers during the bill’s House debate.

The measure is one of many introduced by state lawmakers across the nation seeking to confront what some see as a federal overreach into state matters that will be extended with the national stimulus plan.

Second, so far this news has been ignored by the major media.

Google the following: "Montana Gun Laws" or any derivative. You'll find that not a single major news source has any links to this story. Not one. The link above is from a newspaper based in Helena, the capital city of Montana. I guess they couldn't ignore it.

There is absolutely no chance that New York State will even consider much less pass a law like this. You have a better chance of Janet Reno starting a new career as a pole dancer.

Contrast

THEN:

"Urge all of your men to pray, not alone in church, but everywhere. Pray when driving. Pray when fighting. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray by night and pray by day. Pray for the cessation of immoderate rains, for good weather for Battle. Pray for the defeat of our wicked enemy whose banner is injustice and whose good is oppression. Pray for victory. Pray for our Army, and Pray for Peace. We must march together, all out for God."

“God of our fathers, who by land and sea have ever lead us to victory, please continue your inspiring guidance in this the greatest of all conflicts. Strengthen my soul so that the weakening instinct of self-preservation, which besets all of us in battle, shall not blind me to my duty to my own manhood, to the glory of my calling, and to my responsibility to my fellow soldiers. Grant to our armed forces that disciplined valor and mutual confidence which insures success in war. Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting, but rather let me be glad that such heroes have lived. If it be my lot to die, let me do so with courage and honor in a manner which will bring the greatest harm to the enemy, and please, oh Lord, protect and guide those I shall leave behind. Give us the victory, Lord.”

George S. Patton Jr.

NOW:

(CNN) -- For the past eight years, the White House recognized the National Day of Prayer with a service in the East Room, but this year, President Obama decided against holding a public ceremony.

We are now a much poorer nation.
Not financially ... spiritually.

A Great Day

Today is our anniversary; 27 years with the same wonderful gal.

In honor of this achievement, and being the warm, caring, loving husband that I am, I decided to do something special.

I went turkey hunting for the first time. We hunted on state land in South Otselic. It is really very beautiful, rolling farmland.

No, we didn't see a single tom, just some hens.

We're going out again tomorrow morning.

That's my trusty 1100. I have had it for over thirty years.

This is my SIL trying to call in some toms.

This is our friend Rob. Walking behind him I swore I was behind Chewbacca.

You don't want to piss off a Wookie.

Oh, yeah. Since it's our anniversary. I got my best gal some flowers, some cards and we are going out to eat at a brand new restaurant in Manlius called the Saucy Swan.

I did change my clothes.

Idle Talk

Thanks to my brother Bob, I now have a new favorite hat.
And only worn once by a previous owner...

I think Putin needs a photo op to help his miserable public relations image here in America.
I propose a low-level fly by in our nation's Capital by a brace of MIG-29's and a Tu-142.

I'm sure our President, Congress-creatures and federal bureaucrats will absolutely love to see these aircraft do a tight pylon turn around the Washington Monument at 600 feet during the lunch hour. No problem here! The Washington Monument is only 555 feet tall.

Trivia: The Washington Monument was the world's tallest structure when completed in 1885 and remained so until the completion of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.

Swine flu. Scientists are hypothesizing how this Mexican flu virus variant dveloped. One theory is that a pig already infected with swine flu ate avian flu-infected bird droppings. Bird droppings are considered a delicacy by swine suffering from a high swine flu-induced fever.

Once inside the pig, the two flu viruses were overcome with viral lust. They ignored the warnings of their families and fell in love with each other. Insane with passion, unholy exchanges of viral RNA occurred within the dark entrails of the pig. They did have to grope for awhile.

The offspring from this union hyphenated their last names (Mexicans, remember?) and were called swine-avian flu variants.

Now, things now get really murky.

Either a chicken ate swine-avian flu infected feces (they're in Mexico, remember? Even pig shit tastes better than week old enchiladas) and then the chicken was eaten by a Mexican who already had a case of the flu...

Or the swine-avian flu infected pig ate a Mexican who was infected with human flu. Once again groping viruses (viri?) seek each other out in dark secret corners of the pig.

The human-swine-avian flu infected pig sneezes or craps or donates blood or is turned into short ribs and then all hell breaks loose when some sneeze breathing, crap eating, blood donor receiving guy eating BBQ ... awwww you know the rest.

Just seal the borders.

Just A Reminder In Case You Forgot

A retired cop buddy sent me this. Although it is a bit dated, it is still timely.

'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'
~Thomas Jefferson

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE
1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.
9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
10. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.
11. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you not understand?
12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.
24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.
25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

H/T to Al.

Tomorrow, Friday, 24 Apr 09, at 9 0'clock there is a special two hour edition of 20/20 on TV. I never watch Baba Wawa but I will make an exception in this case.

It is special because the entire show features our Office and the murder prosecution of Stacey Castor - the Black Widow. She poisoned her two husbands with antifreeze and tried to poison her 17 yr old daughter with alcohol and drugs and then blame the other two deaths on her daughter. This woman has no soul. I previously blogged about her here.

In The Hands Of Fools

Read it and weep.

Janet "Reno Redux" Napolitano has no business running the Department of Homeland Security. Watching the Obama appointees run this government is like watching a tree full of monkeys all try to hump a harmonica at the same time.

The Liberal Media Isn't Going Down Alone

The New York Times continues it's slide into oblivion. It's stock is augering into the basement as shown in the above February 18, 2009, chart. In February the price of the Sunday Times was almost more than the price of a single share of the company that produced it.

The chart shows a peak of over $50 per share in 2002. Today's closing price was $5.74.

But there is a support industry that depends on the newspapers/magazines that purchase their products. They are the paper and ink manufacturers who are also affected by the decline of the print media as seen in this article.

AbitibiBowater, the company created when Bowater Inc. merged with Abitibi-Consolidated last October, filed for bankruptcy in the United States. The Montreal-based company that is North America's third-largest producer of pulp and paper will file for bankruptcy in Canada on Friday. Normal operations are expected to continue while the company restructures.

This is the clearest sign yet that the struggles of the newspaper and magazine world are going beyond the media world. Pulp shipments in December 2008 were down 9.5 percent from the year earlier, and prices fell 20 percent.

AbitibiBowater has seen its stock price plummet from almost $14 per share in July to $.53 per share earlier today when trading was halted.

Watching The NFL Won't Be The Same

John Madden is retiring. He just turned 72 this month and he is hanging up the broadcast mike to spend more time with his family. I am seriously going to miss his analysis on Sundays.

If it was a choice between games where teams I didn't care for were playing, I would pick the one that Madden was in.

Yes it Is - If Necessary

On April 13th, two Syracuse Police Officers were shot at by a parolee fleeing from them. One officer was struck twice by bullets fired from the suspect's stolen .357 magnum.

The injured officer, identified by sources as 14-year veteran Richard Curran, was hit twice during the 7:30 p.m. shooting, one bullet striking him in the back. A second officer shot and killed the man after a brief foot chase on Walrath Road, near South Salina Street, said Syracuse Police Chief Gary Miguel.

A witness said at least a dozen shots were fired during the daylight shooting. The shooter was identified by police as James Tyson, 33.

The wounded officer's soft body armor stopped the slugs.

I imagine Tyson's family is very, very upset by these events and I do feel sorry for them. From what another cop says, this is not a bad family.

I am a law enforcement officer. I am, was, also related to James Tyson. He was my cousin. We grew up together. James had alot of opportunity growing up. Very intelligent, talented...but made his own choices. He was provided the same opportunities I was. Education, sports, and came from a great family, contrary to some of the commentary. I will speak more on that subject shortly. James first went to prison shortly before I went to college. I remember visiting him there with my brother, also a former law enforcement officer. My family, my church, all surrounded him with support so that he would be able to transition back to the community and become a responsible citizen. When he was released, I was home for that summer from college. I gave him clothes out of my closet, the watch off my arm. We also assisted him in finding employment. Shortly after I went back to school, he committed another crime and went back to prison.

But they really should carefully consider their words before saying something stupid like this:

His mother, Clara Bruce, said she's still seeking answers. The family offered condolences to the officers.

"We don't know what happened, that maybe caused him to become angry and do that," said his sister, Kamerial Warren. "We can't justify why he shot at the police. They retaliated, which is their job. But it's not their job to kill someone."[emph. mine ~Sig94]

I beg to differ.
It is our job to kill someone - when necessary. Mr. Tyson saw to that.
No one wants to be placed in the position that those two cops were in.
Mr. Tyson had no reason to shoot at those cops.
Those cops were not retaliating, they were defending themselves.
Their job is to protect the public.
Please try to get that straight.

He Is Risen

The message this morning was excellent. Taken from 1 Cor. 15:1-19, Pastor Mark took a historical view of how Christ's contemporaries viewed the Resurrection.

1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.
2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

After Jesus was murdered, something happened to a number of people that transformed them from quaking, frightened fugitives to lions of the faith. His most vocal disciple, Peter, had already denied Him three times; the other disciples were hiding behind locked doors.
What happened was the Resurrection; God's tranforming power restored a rotting, stinking, blotted corpse (He was dead three days, trust me on this one) and it was the sight of a resurrected Jesus that brought new life and conviction to formerly shattered and scattered disciples.

5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

What they saw convinced them to die horrible deaths rather than to forsake their belief. They did not see a Jesus who had "swooned" and then regained consciousness inside a cave. First of all, Jesus was brutally scrouged by a flagellum that produced horrific wounds. This was done to inflict very serious physical injury on a condemned prisoner so he would die relatively quickly during his crucifixion. Without this torture and the resultant shock, a prisoner could last for days on a cross.

Once Jesus appeared to be dead, a soldier thurst a spear into his side. Seeing the blood and water that issued forth, the soldier - no stranger to executions - knew that Jesus was dead. Jesus was then wrapped in burial cloths and placed in a sarcophogus where his body would rot for about a year after which which his bones would be placed in an ossuary.

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Paul here is writing of what appears to be common knowledge to the residents of Jerusalem. Jesus was seen by many people, not just His disciples.

Interesting enough, there is nothing that contests this account from the Romans. There are many documents from this time that have been discovered, but nothing that directly refutes the accounts of the disciples. Josephus writes of Jesus in his Antiquities of the Jews (approx. 90 AD):

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

This account by Josephus was almost universally accepted for many centuries.

Now the resurrection is being questioned by alleged "objective" investigators who claim that Jesus was not God, but merely another mortal who died like everyone else. There was a Discovery Channel special, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" that aired in 2007. The producers, Simcha Jacobovici and James Cameron, claim that Jesus' burial place was found in Jerusalem and his bones have been recovered. This is not a documentary, it is a Michael Moorish piece of speculative nonsense. The scientists who were interviewed for this pice of rot have responded with disgust how they were manipulated by the producers and how many statements were taken out of context.

A counterpiece, The Jesus Tomb Unmasked, shows how bias and poor science shaped the false claims that Jesus' tomb has been discovered. This movie is free on line or a DVD can be purchased from Amazon for $7. It offers a reality-based view of how liberals distort the truth in order to push their agenda.

He Is Safe

Capt. Phillips has been rescued. Fox News, suffering from the same diarrhera of the mouth as other media outlets, reported at about 1345 that Phillips was rescued when he dove overboard again from his captors lifeboat. Three of the four pirates were killed and another taken into custody. Phillips is now allegedly safe aboard the USS Bainbridge.

More Lies From The Left

There is a concerted effort by the left to get the government to take over all health insurance. A story has been circulated claiming that 47 million people are at risk because they cannot get health insurance. This is a lie.

The Doug Ross blog sites data derived from the US Census Bureau that debunks this claim and gives a more accurate breakout of Americans, and illegal aliens, who do not have health insurance.

• 9.5 million people are illegal aliens

• 8.3 million uninsured people are those who make between $50,000 and $74,999 per year and choose not to purchase insurance

• 8.7 million uninsured people are those who make over $75,000 a year and choose not to purchase insurance

This leaves approximately 20 million uninsured; less than 7% of the population. Why do some people choose not to purchase insurance? 60 percent reported being in "excellent health or very good health" and purposefully decided not to buy insurance.

Further, 45% of the uninsured will have insurance within the next four months according to the Congressional Budget Office. Many are transitioning between jobs and purchase health insurance through their employers.

Who is pushing this lie? ACORN and the unions. Read Doug's blog to find out how this was uncovered.

We Can Wait A Little While Longer

The US Supreme Court has refused to give convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal a new trial. Instead, he must spread the rest of his life in prison. From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid today for a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for more than 25 years for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

Abu-Jamal and his lawyers had been hoping for a new trial based on their contention that prosecutors unfairly excluded African-Americans from his jury during his 1982 trial.

I was not aware that truth must be established by a multiracial, multicultural tribunal. A jury of reasonably intelligent, honest men and women is established during voir doire under the guidance of the judge. They are capable of determining whether or not sufficient facts exist to support the accusation of murder. This is nothing more than after action jury manipulation by the defense.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in a 2-to-1 decision last March, refused to order a new trial, but the panel agreed unanimously that his death sentence should been thrown out.

The panel said that Abu-Jamal must either be sentenced to life in prison, or receive a new sentencing trial only on the issue of whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison.

And I pray God that this time it sticks. But the fat lady hasn't begun to sing yet for this murderous piece of excrement. The Philadelphia District Attorney is trying to have Mumia executed without a new death penalty hearing.

But the epic struggle over the fate of Abu-Jamal, who has become an international symbol in the debate about the death penalty, is not over. The nation's high court is still weighing the state's petition to have his death sentence reinstated.

I cannot imagine how Maureen Faulkner, Officer Faulkner's widow, has been torn over the past 25 years.

Maureen Faulkner, the officer's widow, lives in California. She told the Inquirer she wept when she heard about Monday's decision.

"To think that he will never get a new trial is such a relief for the family and I after 27 years and everything we've gone through," Faulkner said.

Time To Re-Evaluate

I was amazed this morning when our pastor used a segment of a video blog site, "Crackle", to shame me. Not that this was his intention, no indeed. But that's what I felt at the end of his message. And not just any blog, this is where Penn Jillette's personal video blog, "Penn Says", is located and where a personal observation made by Mr. Penn was used to great effect.

Most everyone has heard of the Penn and Teller team. They delight in exposing hypocrisy and sham. Mr. Penn is a liberterian and a confirmed atheist. Here's a sample:

But someone, a Christian, made a big impression on Mr. Penn last December. He gave Mr. Penn a bible.

Not that Mr. Penn made a confession of faith or anything like that. But notice his words; he describes this person three times as "good" or "very, very nice." Listen closely to what he says about proselytizing - the act or process to convert someone, to persuade them to accept your beliefs.

What are Mr. Penn's words? They were like a dagger to the heart of many professing Christians, I fear.
They were to mine.

"How much do you have to hate someone to not proselytize them?"

This from the mouth of an atheist.

Penn further states that if a truck is bearing down on you there is a point in time where "I have to tackle you." How tenacious are many Christians in witnessing? Do we give up too easily? Just how much do we believe Scripture and how willing are we to be "socially awkward?"

Mr. Penn's hospitable reception to this Christian's efforts was based on his perception that this was a "very, very, very good man." Mr. Penn sensed that this man was really concerned about his spiritual well being.

There was a reaction to Mr. Penn's video blog from the Christian community. Listen to what Mr. Penn has to say about that.

The question that was thrown in my face this morning was this, "Do I truly believe the Bible as it is written and am I willing to act on it?" Words without actions are nothing but wind.

But Mr. Penn's reaction to the gift of a bible was based on his perception that this man actually cared. You could see that he was stirred by this encounter. How many times do we mechanically react to what is perceived as our Christian duty without really caring for the people we are inflicting ourselves on? Do we bother to learn anything about them? Do we truly approach them as a friend? Or are we like the man on the street corner shouting at people trapped in a bus stop? Or the woman railing at school administrators at a PTA meeting?

The Apostle Paul knew this. He speaks to it in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Mr. Penn reacted to something that he sensed in that Christian. Can we say he would sense that in the rest of us?

They Refuse To Learn

Australia leads the civilized world in crime victimization. According to a UN study, nearly a third of all Australians are victims of crime. So what do the Aussie masters do to protect their wards? What crime prevention strategies do they adopt?

They redouble their efforts to confiscate the few remaining firearms held by civilians. Now these are unregistered firearms that ostensively were not used in crimes. But it just boggles the mind how gun amnesty or gun buy backs are used time and time again as a crime-fighting tool when the best practice evidence shows that it is completely ineffective.

ALMOST 800 illegal firearms have been surrendered during the first month of a three-month amnesty.

NSW Police Minister Tony Kelly said 606 rifles, 49 handguns and 141 shotguns were handed in to police stations across the state since the amnesty began on March 1.

It had netted 11 replica firearms, 151 pieces of ammunition and 76 firearms parts and telescopic sights, while there had been 4932 applications for the registration of firearms that had previously been kept illegally.

Mr Kelly said that owning a firearm was a privilege, not a right, and it was "about time" all gun owners got that message.

This is why the 2nd Amendment is such a frightfully important document. It establishes a means of resisting tyranny. For if the means to resist are removed, then revolution is just another word.

I hope all Americans "got that message." And the message is this; Australia, New Zealand and the UK have gone to extraordinary lengths to limit the possession of firearms within their respective populations. These very same nations have the highest crime victimization rates in the civilized world.

#1 Australia: 30.1%
#2 New Zealand: 29.4%
#3 United Kingdom: 26.4%

More Terrible, Terrible News

Three Pittsburgh police officers have been killed in the line of duty.

PITTSBURGH, April 4 (UPI) -- Police in Pittsburgh say three officers were killed Saturday and two seriously wounded before an armed man was taken into custody.

The suspect was identified as Richard Poplawski, 23, alleged barricaded himself inside his home and began firing at police Saturday morning with a high-power rifle, police sources told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

For at least a couple of hours, several of the officers were pinned down and could not be removed for treatment without risking further attack, said police spokeswoman Diane Richard.

Unfortunately the suspect was taken into custody and is not compost-ready.
These last few weeks remind me of the 60's and 70's when cops were going down left and right.

Developing

The horrific shootings in Binghamton yesterday were carried out by someone of Asian ancestry who may have been carrying false ID.

Initially identified as Jiverly Voong of Johnson City, an IBM worker who was recently laid off, the suspect may have been using a false identity. Sources at IBM state that Jiverly Voong was never employed there.

There were two handguns recovered at the crime scene that were registered to Voong. I very much doubt that Voong is an assumed name since there is a pretty thorough vetting that occurs during the background check conducted for a NY weapons permit. But perhaps Voong's identity was used by the gunman?

Apparently not.

Jiverly Voong

There are other sources who state that Voong worked at a Shop Vac factory and was a loner. One man who worked with Voong states that:

[...] he and a buddy used to joke about how they thought Voong "would come in mad one day and shoot people. He seemed like that kind of guy."

[...] another former Shop Vac employee, said Voong "kept to himself but made some of off-the-wall comments like he wanted to kill the President."

There is frequently a bit of fog surrounding investigations like this so be prepared to have some time pass before all the players and their roles are made completely known.