There will be no posting today due to the loss of a longtime friend. See post below. I just don’t feel like writing anything right now.
Good evening. I know you do not know who I am, but I am Bob’s younger brother Bill. We were unable to locate phone numbers or addresses for so many people Robert kept in touch with, so I apologize for sending this information via e-mail. Robert passed away last Wednesday, the 22nd. The coroner determined that he died of a heart attack. He was apparently on his way up to Buffalo when he stopped at a Rest Area off of I-71. He was found dead in his car. There will not be a funeral in Ohio but rather a memorial service in Buffalo later next week. Again, I apologize for sending this information without calling but we were not sure of how to reach any of you. If you would like, please send me an e-mail. There are so many people to try to get in contact with, it’s been a challenge. Again, I know this is no way to receive such bad information, but we were not aware of how to reach you. Please feel free to e-mail me. Waek52@aol.com Thank you for the years of friendship that you gave my brother Robert. Sincerely, Bill
See the funny-looking airplane below? It’s an unmanned technological masterpiece. It can be launched from an Ohio-class submarine, perform its mission, whether reconnaissance or bombing, and return to the sub. All while the sub remains underwater, out of sight. Of course, this article comes from Popular Science’s current February issue where they say the Skunk Works is “testing” the concept. What that means is that this bird was first tested in 1979, hundreds were built during the 1980’s using secret discretionary funds and have been deployed to the fleet since 1986. The Skunk Works is already working on the Third Generation of this critter. Trust me. Picture this: Iran announces it now has nuclear bombs and plans to use them on Israel. The USS Tennessee (SSBN-734) leaves its station in the Indian Ocean and proceeds to the Straits Of Hormuz. Lying offshore from Iran under 500 feet of water, the Captain and crew silently wait until darkness descends on the world above. Then at 0200 hrs. the Cormorant is launched quietly from the missile tube where it has waited. Loaded with tactical nuclear weapons, the bird of prey stealthily cruises at treetop level below radar for several hundred miles and takes out four key nuclear facilities and major bases. Then silently the now-empty bird returns to the sea where it descends to hook up and be retrieved by the sub, which silently sails away into the night. The next morning when the press comes screaming at the President, inquiring if the US had anything to do with the nuclear wasteland Iran has become, Dubya simply responds, “No. We had nothing to do with it. Them Eye-ranians must of had one them nucular accidents or something.” No, really. It could happen. If only Dubya can keep a straight face ...
The Navy’s Swimming Spy Plane It floats, it flies, it eliminates enemy targets—meet the water-launched unmanned enforcer (POPULAR SCIENCE) Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, famed for the U-2 and Blackbird spy planes that flew higher than anything else in the world in their day, is trying for a different altitude record: an airplane that starts and ends its mission 150 feet underwater. The Cormorant, a stealthy, jet-powered, autonomous aircraft that could be outfitted with either short-range weapons or surveillance equipment, is designed to launch out of the Trident missile tubes in some of the U.S. Navy’s gigantic Cold War–era Ohio-class submarines. These formerly nuke-toting subs have become less useful in a military climate evolved to favor surgical strikes over nuclear stalemates, but the Cormorant could use their now-vacant tubes to provide another unmanned option for spying on or destroying targets near the coast. This is no easy task. The tubes are as long as a semi trailer but about seven feet wide—not exactly airplane-shaped. The Cormorant has to be strong enough to withstand the pressure 150 feet underwater—enough to cave in hatches on a normal aircraft—but light enough to fly. Another challenge: Subs survive by stealth, and an airplane flying back to the boat could give its position away. The Skunk Works’s answer is a four-ton airplane with gull wings that hinge around its body to fit inside the missile tube. The craft is made of titanium to resist corrosion, and any empty spaces are filled with plastic foam to resist crushing. The rest of the body is pressurized with inert gas. Inflatable seals keep the weapon-bay doors, engine inlet and exhaust covers watertight. The Cormorant does not shoot out of its tube like a missile. Instead an arm-like docking “saddle” guides the craft out, sending it floating to the surface while the sub slips away. As the drone pops out of the water, the rocket boosters fire and the Cormorant takes off. After completing its mission, the plane flies to the rendezvous coordinates it receives from the sub and lands in the sea. The sub then launches a robotic underwater vehicle to fetch the floating drone. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is funding tests of some of the Cormorant’s unique systems, including a splashdown model and an underwater-recovery vehicle. The tests should be completed by September, after which Darpa will decide whether it will fund a flying prototype.
If you read only one thing this week, it absolutely must be this editorial by Howard Nemerov. Nemerov examines the factual statistics gathered over the last ten years since Australia banned possession of firearms. Here is all the ammunition (pardon the pun) you need the next time some Liberal gun-control freak starts screaming at you. Read this editorial all the way through, let the facts sink in and then go to the NRA’s web site, sign up and learn about firearms safety and what you can do to keep the Congresstards from disarming us all and turning us into a nation of sheep who will be at the mercy of criminals that, even if caught, our courts will let go free to continue to plague us. Do the right thing. Do it now ...
In 1996, Australia invoked massive gun control following a mass murder, where a mentally ill man used firearms to commit the crime. The government reacted by effectively banning all semi-automatic firearms. One could apply for a license to own a weapon, but had to show ‘’a legitimate purpose and fitness of character (’genuine reason and need for owning, possessing or using a firearm’), conform to stringent safe storage requirements, and undertake safety training if a new licensee.’’ As with the UK study, it is important to establish a pre-ban baseline and then compare it to similar research after the ban to determine crime trends. For this purpose, we can examine statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as compiled and reported by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC). It is interesting to note that the AIC has many ‘’stakeholders’’ from the Australian national and state governments. Here are some key findings about Australian crime trends for the period of 1995 (pre-ban) to 2001 (post-ban): The rate of assault has increased steadily from 563 victims per 100,000 people in 1995 to 779 per 100,000 people in 2001. In 2001 the rate for robbery peaked at 136 per 100,000 people—the highest recorded since 1995. The rate of sexual assault was 86 per 100,000 people, which is higher than any previous year. Here is the comparison in violent crime trends between Australia and the United States for the period of 1995 to 2001, calculating rates by dividing the number of crimes reported by the population figures. Crime Australia USA Homicide -11% -32% Assault +39% -24% Rape +19% -14% Robbery +70% -33% It is also interesting to note that violent crime rates are higher in Australia. Following are selected comparisons for violent crime rates per 100,000 people in 2001. While homicide is lower and robbery is similar, assault and rape occur more than twice as often in Australia, proving that when the physically weaker are barred from possessing the best tool for self-defense, they are rendered helpless. As with England, women pay the price when politicians use tragedy as an excuse to eliminate armed threat to their power. Crime Australia USA Homicide 1.8 5.6 Assault 779 319 Rape 86 32 Robbery 136 146 To summarize, we see a dramatic rise in violent crime in Australia since the gun ban, along with a relatively flat trend in property crime rates, demonstrating the criminals’ understanding of the basic principles of cost/benefit analysis, choosing the quicker method of confronting an unarmed victim. At the same time, the USA saw significant drops in both violent and property crime rates, proving the adage that an armed society is a polite--and safer--society. We are a world at war, where concepts can manifest as improvement in the general welfare of all, or as holocaust. Just as the criminal justifies robbery, rape, and murder out of selfish necessity and expedience, groups of individuals can justify destruction and death through their imagined superiority due to differences in philosophy, culture, religion, or variations in skin pigmentation. It starts with the belief that others are essentially stupid, bad, or not trustworthy, and not worthy of being treated with respect and decency, resulting in tyranny and genocide. Many individuals believe in their own manifest unworthiness. They are overwhelmed with the choices freedom offers, and prefer the apparent safety of slavery. When offered freedom from choice by a government that says they will provide safety by taking responsibility for making all those terrifying choices, this is too tempting an offer to ignore. The fact that history teaches a consistent lesson about this process is subsumed by the delusional belief that ‘’this time it will be different.’’ Of course, even this part of choice happens only if people study history. When government controls public education, history can be ignored, or revised to create the fantasy world that suits the desired outcome, making it even easier to shepherd people into the only apparent choice available. The reality of history shows how this works, always ending with a ruling elite controlling 99% of all wealth and power. Arrayed against these forces of darkness are those who believe that most people are essentially good; that most people, if allowed to pursue their life goals in an atmosphere of liberty, will create goodness which benefits society. They understand that with freedom of choice goes responsibility, and do not flinch from this reality. They understand that they may fail in some undertakings, but rather than considering themselves failures, they learn from experience, consider setbacks challenges rather than obstacles, and persist until they prevail. When they band together to create a country, it is founded on the belief of liberty and justice for all, and manifests an economy that is the dynamo for, and envy of, the rest of the world; such is our country. Self-defense is a heavy choice. For the weak-willed, it is too much to undertake, and they prefer not only that government take on that responsibility, but that it do so even for those who are willing to assume personal responsibility for their choice. Thus, we have supporters of gun control. Those in government who offer the promise--not ever based in reality--of defending us from predators are the ones who wish to repeat history and become the next ruling elite, themselves becoming the dominant predators. Indeed, if you take a life in self-defense, you will be judged, though not necessarily to the negative side of the ledger, so to speak. It takes character, courage, and skill, but most of all, it takes reverence for life, for if you are unwilling to assume responsibility for your life, you have no life. English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘’All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.’’ Again, we are faced with a choice, against which the future of this country is balanced. Do nothing about gun control, and we become subjects, as the people of England and Australia are discovering they still are. Then we progress from subjects to peasants, to serfs, to slaves, finally free from the oft-painful necessity of choice. In America, the choice is still yours, and remember: not choosing, or not acting on that choice, is a choice for tyranny, a choice to sell your children into slavery. References: (1) What Gun Controllers Don’t Want You to Know http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=7862 (2) The Australian Government Structure, Alan Quartly, Pagewise, 2002. http://me.essortment.com/australiangover_rbpt.htm (3) Australia: A Massive Buyback of Low-Risk Guns, Reuter and Mouzos, 2002. http://www.puaf.umd.edu/faculty/papers/reuter/gun%20chapter.pdf (4) Australian Institute of Criminology Online Action Plan, May, 2002, page 1. http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN003990.pdf (5) Australian Crime Facts and Figures 2002, Australian Institute of Criminology, November, 2002, page 7. http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/facts/2002/facts_and_figures_2002.pdf
In 1996, Australia invoked massive gun control following a mass murder, where a mentally ill man used firearms to commit the crime. The government reacted by effectively banning all semi-automatic firearms. One could apply for a license to own a weapon, but had to show ‘’a legitimate purpose and fitness of character (’genuine reason and need for owning, possessing or using a firearm’), conform to stringent safe storage requirements, and undertake safety training if a new licensee.’’ As with the UK study, it is important to establish a pre-ban baseline and then compare it to similar research after the ban to determine crime trends. For this purpose, we can examine statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as compiled and reported by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC). It is interesting to note that the AIC has many ‘’stakeholders’’ from the Australian national and state governments. Here are some key findings about Australian crime trends for the period of 1995 (pre-ban) to 2001 (post-ban):
I see it’s time for me to give The Annual Sermon to the congregation on board this shippe. Over the last year we have managed to acquire several hundred new members so in the interests of keeping everyone informed I present the following: Personalities: Be who you are or begone. There are over 750 members who regularly visit this site from all over the world. There are all kinds of personalities here. Most are conservative or moderate with an occasional liberal dropping in. One thing we all share in common is recognition of the fact that there are all kinds of jerks and idiots around us, i.e. Barking Moonbats. I encourage everyone to be yourself. Not everyone is right all the time and not everyone is wrong all the time. No one is allowed to be a pompous ass here. Except me. I am allowed because I shell out over two thousand dollars a year for domain licenses, hosting services, software and legal fees to keep this blog going. Advertising only covers about half of that. If you wish to procure a “Pompous Ass License”, all you have to do is donate at least $500 to this blog through PayPal or Amazon (see links in the right sidebar). The Crewe: I am The Skipper of this shippe. I am a 57-year-old professional database administrator in my day job. Here, I am the “finder of interesting thinges”, host and moderator. For the most part, I just dig up crazy shit from around the world and toss is out to the members here for observation and comment. I don’t censor comments or intervene in disputes between members unless it gets radically out of hand. I get grouchy and grumpy at times but I don’t ban people from this site unless there’s a damned good reason. I have a very thick skin ... and a foul Irish temper. Do not be concerned. My bark is worse than my bite. Mister Christian is ship’s’ executive officer. He is also a computer professional in his day job and in the same age group as yours truly. He also posts weird stuff when he has time. He helps moderate comments and he also manages the forums. There are quite a few regular commenters here like Oink and OldCatMan, who provide comic relief and opposing viewpoints on just about everything. Comments: Say whatever you want. Within reason. Screw political correctness. PC is the bane of modern civilization. With that in mind, be aware that two things will not be tolerated: (a) hate speech or (b) personal attacks. Members of the KKK or the Aryan Nation are not welcome. Neither are members of any other hate group. Period. In addition, one of my pet peeves is the way certain people (usually Liberals) who have no valid argument resort to personal attacks. That dawg won’t hunt. Calling another commenter a “whore” or a “bastard” or a “nose-picking, ugly, snarklephobe” will get you kicked off this shippe in a heartbeat (unless being a “snarkelphobe” is a good thing). Finally, if you don’t know anything about HTML format tags, leave them alone. It is too easy to leave an open tag and this results in the format “bleeding over” into all the following comments. Remember, THE PREVIEW BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND. Also, try to keep your comments down to a reasonable length. Don’t quote entire chapters from the Encyclopedia Britannica - just give us a link. And don’t post large JPG or GIF image links in the comments. Why? Because I said so. Style: If you have read any of my posts here at all, you surely have realized by now that I tend to be full of shit occasionally. I assure you this is intentional. The evils we report on here are too depressing if not taken with a huge grain of salt. That is why you will find a lot of satire and parody (including self-parody) in my writings. I operate this blog for two reasons only (in this order): (a) to have fun and (b) to hopefully convince some of the totally screwed-up people in this world to stop being colossal jerks. The first goal is easy but the second goal is somewhat difficult. The reason, as I’ve explained before, is that human beings have only one organ to detect defects and problems in our bodies - the brain. When the brain develops a defect, it becomes almost impossible to detect or repair the problem. In other words, who monitors the monitor? The answer is ... other people. Think about it. Confidentiality: As you know by now, one of the requirements for becoming a member here is having a valid e-mail address. This is not done to create a mailing list to be sold. Your e-mail address is never revealed to anyone. If you use the e-mail member links from this site to send e-mail to another member, you are not even allowed to see that member’s e-mail address in the messaging window. We try to maintain the confidentiality of all members. In that same vein, do not reveal anything in your comments or in the forums that you would normally wish to keep private. Identity theft is a major problem nowadays so keep that in mind. Also, I discourage posting information about your personal life in the comments for two reasons: (a) it can be somewhat embaressing to other members, not to mention to yourself and (b) your personal life and problems are yours - don’t make them mine. I got enough of my own. I have added a “Personals” forum for people to exchange personal information, pictures, etc. and to socialize on a personal level without doing it out here on the main pages in front of 3,000 visitors every day. Summary: That’s all for this year’s sermon. I will leave you all alone now to have as much fun as is humanly possible, considering you’re probably sitting there in front of your monitor in your underwear with a bag of Cheetos and a beer trying to decide whether to scratch your butt or go get another beer. Take my advice: go get the beer and if you do scratch your butt, remember to wash your hands before dipping your fingers back into that bag of chips. Live long and prosper.
Fred & Family are at it again. In Minnesota this time. Another fallen soldier’s funeral. Words alone cannot express the utter and complete revulsion I have for this madman and his brood of Satan. Giving Phelps this award is small change compared to what I would like to give him. I only ask for fifteen minutes alone with Phelps, in a soundproof room, completely undisturbed. Two go in ... one comes out ... somebody mop up the mess ...
Foes, Soldier’s Mother Counter Protesters At Funeral Fringe Kansas church singles out Iraq dead Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 ST. PAUL, Minnesota (PIONEER PRESS) Six members of a fringe church in Kansas picketed Thursday outside the funeral of a Minnesota soldier who was killed in Iraq, leading to a heated exchange with the grieving mother. The six men and women, standing outside the Anoka funeral for Cpl. Andrew Kemple, 23, who died Feb. 12 after his vehicle came under fire, are members of a church in Topeka, Kan., that espouses the belief that God is killing American soldiers because they fought for a country that tolerates homosexuality. They were countered by a group of 20 affiliated with the Patriot Guard Riders, a rapidly growing nationwide movement organized to offset the fringe group’s message. “We’re just trying to show honor and respect for families,” said John Lutsch, a St. Cloud resident who heads the Minnesota branch of the Patriot Guard. “I was appalled when I read about these protests, that they’d use a solemn occasion like this as a forum for their views.” He was interrupted by Steve Drain, who bellowed that God hates gays and their enablers and “so, therefore, God hates the U.S. military.” According to an account reported by the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune, about a half-hour before the service, Deirdre Ostlund, Kemple’s mother, approached the six Kansans and told them in a cold fury: “I’m Andrew’s mother and I want you to know you are truly hateful people.” As Ostlund turned away to enter Zion Lutheran Church, Shirley Phelps-Roper taunted her: “Adulterer! You can’t admit you sent your own child to hell! If she does not heed this warning, she will look up from hell with him.” Phelps-Roper is the daughter of Fred Phelps, the pastor of the nondenominational Westboro Baptist Church. During the 1990s, church members were known mostly for picketing funerals of AIDS victims. Minnesota is one of at least 14 states considering laws that would make funeral protests illegal. The Patriot Guard got its start in Kansas last October when motorcycle-riding veterans became fed up with the Westboro church’s picketing and decided to show up and place themselves between the demonstrators and mourners. The organization has grown quickly with chapters in nearly every state and more than 8,700 members, about 100 of them so far in Minnesota, Lutsch said. Just as the funeral service was starting Thursday, the six Kansans got into their van and drove away as the Patriot Guard mockingly serenaded them, “Hit the road, Jack, and don’t you come back no more....” A few minutes later, Deirdre Ostlund stood before a packed church sanctuary, just to the right of her son’s flag-draped coffin. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God, and Andrew knew that,” said Ostlund, of Forest Lake. No matter what he did, God loved him. And now, nothing will ever separate me, or any of us, from Andrew.” Kemple was a 2001 graduate of Cambridge-Isanti High School. Inspired by the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he joined the Army in 2003. The member of the 101st Airborne Division was the 30th military member from Minnesota to die in Iraq.
All I got to say about this is: ”IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME”. This farce has been going on long enough. Hell, every Mess-can in the world knows about this and they have all been flocking to the Volunteer State with all kinds of scams to get these “certificates”. What can you expect though from the state that gave us Al Gore?
Tennessee Halts Immigrant Driving Certificates February 24, 2006, 1:37 PM EST NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee stopped issuing driving certificates to illegal immigrants Friday after investigations found they were being shuttled from other states, using fake residency papers and sometimes bribing state workers to get the cards. Safety Commissioner Jerry Nicely said the program was being suspended while authorities reassess it “to ensure we’re doing what’s best for Tennesseans.” “This program was a good idea in theory, but there have been issues with implementation,” Nicely said. The certificates, which are stamped “not valid for identification,” were meant to improve driving safety by making sure immigrants living in the state knew traffic rules. Recent federal investigations found that illegal immigrants were traveling hundreds of miles to get the certificates illegally. Non-citizens who can prove they are in the country legally will still be allowed to get the certificates. Tennessee is among 11 U.S. states that have not required proof of legal residence to obtain driving documents. In early 2001, the state started issuing full driver’s licenses without requiring a Social Security number, and more than 180,000 people obtained licenses. The driving certificates were created in 2004 to satisfy homeland security concerns; about 51,000 were issued. Applicants are now required to provide two documents, such as a utility bill or lease, to show they live in Tennessee, along with a Social Security number or a sworn affidavit if there is none. They also must pass an eye exam, a driving rules test and a road test. Two major federal arrests in recent months exposed shuttles bringing South and Central American immigrants from as far away as New Jersey to state licensing centers in Knoxville, where the immigrants got certificates using fake residency papers. In January, a third sweep revealed what prosecutors called a conspiracy in which state license examiners in Murfreesboro accepted bribes to provide illegal immigrants with driver’s licenses and certificates without testing.
Mark this date down in history. For the first time ever, The Skipper sides with the media and even worse it’s the (gasp!) British media. Ken Livingstone is the Lord High Mayor Of London. Fancy title. It’s too bad he’s a narrow minded, useless, Leftist, fruitcake. I can’t even tell you all the bad things I’ve heard from our British readers about this asshat. He almost makes George Galloway look and sound sane and rational. Here’s the scoop. A year ago, His Lord High Assness was attending a “gay function” ... and I ain’t using the word “gay” to mean “happy” (nudge-nudge-wink-wink). While there a reporter for the London Evening Standard tried to ask a few questions of His Jerkness. Mr. Livingstone responded with a diatribe comparing the reporter to a Nazi prison guard. The reporter is Jewish. Ouch ... !
Mayor Rapped For Nazi Guard Jibe The mayor claims he was being harassed by the reporter February 11, 2005 LONDON (BBC) A Jewish leader has demanded Ken Livingstone be brought to account after accusing a reporter of behaving like a “concentration camp guard”. The exchange with an Evening Standard journalist happened as the mayor left an event marking 20 years since Chris Smith came out as the first gay MP. The Mayor of London’s office defended him saying he had been harassed at a “predominantly gay event”. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the comment was “insensitive”. On tape the mayor is heard asking Oliver Finegold (pictured at right) if he is a “German war criminal”. Mr Finegold replies: “No, I’m Jewish, I wasn’t a German war criminal. I’m quite offended by that.” The mayor then says: “Ah right, well you might be, but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren’t you?”
Mayor Is Suspended Over Nazi Jibe Mr Livingstone said he was expressing his honestly-held view February 24, 2006 LONDON (BBC) London’s mayor has been suspended from office for four weeks for comparing a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard. The Adjudication Panel for England ruled Ken Livingstone had brought his office into disrepute when he acted in an “unnecessarily insensitive” manner. The ban is due to begin on 1 March and the mayor’s deputy Nicky Gavron will stand in for Mr Livingstone. The mayor said: “This decision strikes at the heart of democracy.” He added: “Elected politicians should only be able to be removed by the voters or for breaking the law. “Three members of a body that no one has ever elected should not be allowed to overturn the votes of millions of Londoners.” Mr Livingstone said he would announce what action he would be taking next week. The Greater London Authority, meanwhile, must decide whether the mayor will be paid his £133,997 salary during the suspension. The hearing followed a complaint from the Jewish Board of Deputies, which had not called for the mayor to be suspended over the comment he made to the Evening Standard’s Oliver Finegold outside a public-funded party. The chairman of the panel, David Laverick, said it had decided on a ban because Mr Livingstone had failed to realise the seriousness of his outburst. He said: “The case tribunal accepts that this is not a situation when it would be appropriate to disqualify the mayor. “The case tribunal is, however, concerned that the mayor does seem to have failed, from the outset of this case, to have appreciated that his conduct was unacceptable, was a breach of the code (the GLA code of conduct) and did damage to the reputation of his office.” Mr Laverick went on to say that the complaint should never have reached the board but did so because of Mr Livingstone’s failure to apologise. In a statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it regretted the guilty result, but said Mr Livingstone had been “the architect of his own misfortune” by failing to recognise the upset caused. It added it had never sought anything more than an apology and an acknowledgement that his words were inappropriate for the “elected representative of Londoners of all faiths and beliefs”.
Mona Charen looks at the current kerfuffle in California over the execution of Michael Morales. A judge has declared that the state must provide a doctor at the time of execution to certify that Morales is unconscious and can feel no pain before the lethal injection can be given. So far, the state has been unable to find a doctor who is willing to violate their Hypocratic Oath. Read the description below of the crime Morales committed ....
They found her body in a vineyard. Her purple sweater was pulled up revealing the knife protruding from her chest. Terri Lynn Winchell had been 17. It was 1981. Michael Morales, whose execution was indefinitely delayed last week, was convicted of her murder. It was established at trial that Morales, a gang member, had killed Winchell as a favor to his cousin, Rick Ortega. The Modesto Bee reported that Ortega, who knew Winchell’s boyfriend, persuaded the girl to take a drive with him. When Winchell entered the car, she was introduced to Morales, seated in the back seat. The three joked and chatted for a while, Terri believing that they were going to look for jewelry for her best friend. But Ortega turned off onto a country road. Morales then reached around the front seat with his belt and began to strangle Terri. She struggled and screamed for Ortega to help her, but he simply continued to drive. (Ortega is now serving a life sentence.) After about 15 seconds, the belt broke. Morales then pulled out a hammer and began smashing the girl’s skull. He hit her 23 times. When she ceased to struggle, Morales told Ortega to pull over and return in 15 minutes. He dragged Winchell from the front seat and onto the ground. He then raped her. He started to walk back to the meeting point with Ortega but then thought better of it and went back to the girl. He stabbed her four times in the chest. ------ Morales has been on death row ever since. But a federal judge in California has now cast into question whether he will ever be duly punished as a jury of his peers has directed he should. Opponents of the death penalty have been rummaging through their bag of tricks and come up with the theory that lethal injection amounts to “cruel” punishment. California had been using a three-drug cocktail to execute criminals. The first, a barbiturate, induces unconsciousness. The other drugs paralyze the muscles and stop the heart. The drugs typically result in death within about seven minutes. Death penalty opponents argue that if the barbiturate for some reason fails to sedate the criminal, he might experience pain when the other drugs are administered yet be unable to gesture or signal distress due to the paralyzing nature of the other drugs. - More on this story here ...
They found her body in a vineyard. Her purple sweater was pulled up revealing the knife protruding from her chest. Terri Lynn Winchell had been 17. It was 1981. Michael Morales, whose execution was indefinitely delayed last week, was convicted of her murder. It was established at trial that Morales, a gang member, had killed Winchell as a favor to his cousin, Rick Ortega. The Modesto Bee reported that Ortega, who knew Winchell’s boyfriend, persuaded the girl to take a drive with him. When Winchell entered the car, she was introduced to Morales, seated in the back seat. The three joked and chatted for a while, Terri believing that they were going to look for jewelry for her best friend. But Ortega turned off onto a country road. Morales then reached around the front seat with his belt and began to strangle Terri. She struggled and screamed for Ortega to help her, but he simply continued to drive. (Ortega is now serving a life sentence.) After about 15 seconds, the belt broke. Morales then pulled out a hammer and began smashing the girl’s skull. He hit her 23 times. When she ceased to struggle, Morales told Ortega to pull over and return in 15 minutes. He dragged Winchell from the front seat and onto the ground. He then raped her. He started to walk back to the meeting point with Ortega but then thought better of it and went back to the girl. He stabbed her four times in the chest.
The hurdle or sledge was similar to a piece of fencing made from thin branches interwoven to form a panel to which the prisoner was tied to be dragged behind a horse to the place of execution. Once there, the prisoner(s) were hanged in the normal way (i.e. without a drop to ensure that the neck was not broken) but cut down whilst still conscious. The penis and testicles were cut off and the stomach was slit open. The intestines and heart were removed and burned before them. The other organs were torn out and finally the head was cut off and the body divided into four quarters. The head and quarters were parboiled to prevent them rotting too quickly and then displayed upon the city gates as a grim warning to all. At some point in this agonising process, the prisoner inevitably died of strangulation and/or haemorrhage and/or shock and damage to vital organs. “Hanging, drawing and quartering”
Quick! How many of you can remember “gas wars”? If you’re under forty you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. For the benefit of those youngsters, let me explain: back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, service stations (yeah, they did full-service way back then) would get into competitions with each other and start dropping their prices to pull in more customers to their place. It was fun. It was also legal. Fast forward to 2006. Gas prices are no longer fun and gas wars are illegal. On the Suckage Scale™ this ranks as a 9.3 ....
Midwest Oil Fined For Selling Gas Too Cheaply February 24, 2006 – 1:05 AM (MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE) The Minnesota Commerce Department on Thursday announced plans to fine a gas station chain $140,000 for repeatedly selling gas below the state’s legal minimum price. The fine against Midwest Oil of Minnesota is twice as large as any imposed on a company since 2001, when the state established a formula based on wholesale prices, fees and taxes to determine a daily floor for gas prices. The price law was intended to prevent large oil companies from driving smaller competitors out of business, but some critics argue it fails to protect consumers. According to the Commerce Department, the Midwest-owned stations in Anoka, Oakdale and Albert Lea sold gas below the minimum price on 293 days in 2005. Kevin Murphy, deputy commissioner of the department, called the violations “willful, continuing, and egregious and warrant a substantial penalty.” The company has 30 days to contest the fine by requesting a hearing. In previous cases, companies were fined anywhere from $500 to $70,000 for selling gas too cheaply. And in those cases, the companies and the department generally had agreed on the amount of the penalty. Midwest had not cooperated with the department on a penalty, and was accused by the department of using several delaying tactics before the matter could be resolved. Midwest officials couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday. Midwest is a subsidiary of the Wisconsin-based Science and Technology Institute, led by Dr. R.C. Samanta Roy. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and several Minnesota legislators have urged a repeal of the state’s minimum price rules. Critics have argued that it ends up costing most customers an extra dollar or more to fill up, without adding to tax revenues. Defenders of the law say it’s critical to protect small and medium-sized stations. They note that unlike large chains, those stations often can’t cushion below-cost gasoline with sales of other merchandise.
What is it with tinpot dictators everywhere? Must they all act like spoiled brats constantly. The FAA banned Venezuelan Airlines from flying into the US for one simple reason: their planes kept falling out of the sky - and that was ten years ago. Now, the Chavez government in Venezuela finally caught on and decided to play “takeaway” with US airlines flying into Venezuela. Then again, the only people flying from the US to Venezuela these days are Danny Glover and Cindy Sheehan - both of whom probably need to be on a plane that falls out of the sky ...
Venezuela Bars Two U.S. Airlines February 24, 2006, 8:13 AM EST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela has prohibited Continental and Delta Airlines from flying into this South American nation, Francisco Plaz, the president of the National Aviation Institute, said. Speaking late Thursday, Plaz said that the measure, which also will restrict American Airlines flights, was taken because the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency had established a similar ban on commercial jets registered in Venezuela 10 years ago due to safety violations. The ban would take effect on March 1, Plaz told the local Globovision television channel. Delta Airlines currently services a daily route from Simon Bolivar international Airport to Atlanta while Continental Airlines has daily flights to Houston and weekly flights to New York. American Airlines services daily routes to Puerto Rico and Miami. A spokesperson for the Venezuelan Association of Airlines, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press the three U.S.-based airlines received notification of the ban on Thursday.
The entire world is becoming a cartoon. Humanity is becoming a parody of itself. That is my opinion and I’m sticking to it. Muslims are rioting over cartoons. Westerners are screaming “free speech” over cartoons. Now the ChiComs are banning cartoons - which may be a smart move since these imaginary doodles from someone’s pen are causing so much trouble around the globe. To make matters worse, there aren’t even any decent cartoons any more. I mean, whatever happened to Bullwinkle, Mighty Mouse, Dudley Dooright, Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzalez and Road Runner? Now those were worth fighting over. Just remember: cartoons aren’t bad ... they’re just drawn that way ....
China Bans Cartoons That Blend Animation Feb 23 4:22 PM US/Eastern BEIJING (AP) Who Framed Roger Rabbit could be out of the picture in China - along with many other cartoon favorites. China has announced a ban on TV shows and movies that blend animated elements with live-action actors, a move aimed at nurturing local animators and apparently curbing the use of foreign cartoons. Besides “Roger Rabbit,” the 1988 feature film in which actor Bob Hoskins performed beside several animated characters, popular children’s TV shows featuring human hosts and animated elements such as “Blue’s Clues” from the United States and Britain’s “Teletubbies” could be included in the ban. And “Space Jam,” the 1996 film featuring basketball great Michael Jordan alongside Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck could also be shelved. The government’s main television and film regulator sent notice Feb. 15 to broadcasters and theaters that such films and shows could no longer be shown and that violators would be punished. It did not say what the penalties would be. It also did not give examples of banned programs but described them as “so-called cartoons that mainly feature real people and only occasionally have computer-generated elements.” Communist authorities are eager to expand the country’s animation industry and also are worried about the influence of foreign pop culture on Chinese children. The cartoon ban is intended to “promote the development and prosperity of the cartoon industry in China,” said the statement issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The broadcast administration’s statement said it planned to review programs that had previously been granted licenses to make sure none of the banned programming is aired. Phone calls to the administration’s main office on Thursday weren’t answered. Japanese and Western animated programs have gained a foothold in China but the government wants to develop its own industry. China already limits foreign cartoons on television to 40 percent of all cartoons broadcast. It has said it might ban all foreign cartoons from prime time television once the quantity and quality of domestic productions is considered adequate. Yet foreign cartoons dubbed into Chinese are a staple on late afternoon and weekend television. Chinese studios have taken advantage of low labor costs to build a growing business handling the labor-intensive animation of cartoons for foreign studios. But they’ve had little luck building up their own brands. There are few Chinese-made cartoons aside from a handful of traditional tales such as “Journey to the West” and some government- financed titles.
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DISCLAIMERTHE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS. Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all: Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly: Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks. THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.
Sunday - February 26, 2006 
on 02/26/2006 at 04:23 AM
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Permalink • Good evening. I know you do not know who I am, but I am Bob’s younger brother Bill. We were unable to locate phone numbers or addresses for so many people Robert kept in touch with, so I apologize for sending this information via e-mail.
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