Friday - August 31, 2007
Tank Command
I was crawling around the internet tonight and came upon this one. Rock on baby.
The M1A2 Abrams.
From the poster of the video:
and i base my opinions on facts, multiple m1a2’s have been hit by RPG’s in this iraq war...and when you look at the pictures..it just has a black mark on it...no hole...no damage...the only good way to destroy it is with a very powerful IED detonating right underneath it or an RPG placed in the right exact spot, but that applys to every tank
True enough. If you watch closely, you’ll see this bad boy has taken some hits and is no worse for the wear.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/31/2007 at 11:57 PM
Filed Under: • War-Stories •
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To Each His Own
I believe in the Capitalist economic model. That is, you are free to conduct trade as you see fit, within the law of course, but don’t expect everyone to buy, or even like, your stuff.
WordWeb is a free dictionary program you can download and use. Looks like it has some neat features and some good testimonials. Then you get to the license agreement. That is, what you are willing to agree to if you want to use their software.
WordWeb may be freely used only by people who meet the conditions below.
Global greenhouse gas emissions are currently around 5 tonnes per person per year, and need to be reduced by about 80% have a good chance of avoiding catastrophic warming. Most computer users are responsible for far more emissions than is sustainable. For example one medium distance return flight can be equivalent to over 1 tonne of emissions1: more than an average person should be emitting in an entire year. A typical SUV causes about twice as much warming per mile as a typical normal European car: 10,000 miles of travel in an SUV is responsible for about 5 tonnes of emissions. Offsetting emissions is no substitute for direct cuts.
You may use the program free of charge indefinitely only if- You take at most 4 flights (2 return flights) in any 12 month period
- AND you do not own or regularly drive an SUV (sports utility vehicle).
If you do not qualify you must uninstall the program after the 30-day trial period or purchase WordWeb Pro. The licence is designed to provide a small incentive for people with massively unsustainable emissions to cut down.
Whenever a user no longer meets the above requirements, and they have installed the product for more than 30 days, they must uninstall the product or purchase WordWeb Pro; otherwise it is software theft.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/31/2007 at 04:18 PM
Filed Under: • Odd-Strange • Philosophy •
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Panderer in Chief
President Bush will announce a laundry list of initiatives today to “help those hard hit by the housing slump”. Good grief, this is about as liberal as HillaryCare.
The president on Friday was to talk about several initiatives and reforms to help homeowners with risky mortgages keep their homes, a senior administration official said Thursday. Bush also was to discuss efforts to prevent these kinds of problems from arising in the future.
So right from the start, we see that the President, again, is willing to spend Federal money on “correcting” poor choices by the masses.
The official said Bush will direct Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson to work on an initiative to help troubled mortgage holders get services and products they need to keep them from defaulting on their loans
Bush also planned to:
• Urge Congress to pass Federal Housing Administration overhaul legislation that would give the FHA more flexibility in assisting mortgage holders with subprime mortgages.
• Pledge to work with Congress to reform the tax code to help troubled borrowers rework their loans.
• Call for rigorously enforcing predatory lending laws and strengthening lending practices.
Keep shoveling the pie and people will keep eating it. Damn.
What exactly is “preditory lending”? Did someone take these poor folks off the street, tie them to a chair and beat them senseless until they signed a closing statement and loan form?
Don’t forget, its not like these houses would dissapear after they are foreclosed on. After all, when that happens, someone with a little more financial ability will come and purchase that home, bringing more money into the economy. What good will propping up bad mortgage holders do?
Rob, at Say Anything sums it up:
Posted by Drew458 on 08/31/2007 at 01:43 PM
Filed Under: • Politics •
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Fred’s In
September 6th, that’s the official day.
Next week, Fred will announce he is running for President of the United States. The internet has been buzzing these past few hours and excitement continues to build as we near the day of his announcement.
The plan is Fred announcing September 6 by a webcast at http://www.imwithfred.com. Then Fred will head out on a five-day campaign tour through Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida before his homecoming in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
It’s exciting for everyone who has been supporting Fred these past few months, but this is just the beginning. As Fred said, “we have an opportunity to change politics in Washington and across the country.” Supporters from all over the country can now devote their time, energy, and resources to supporting a man who wants to keep America secure, unite us, and push for continued prosperity.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/31/2007 at 10:57 AM
Filed Under: • Republicans •
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Cleaning Used Hard Drives…
Sure you can drill through the old Hard Drives and that usually makes the data unrecoverable.. But leave it to the Military to make sure the data is never Recovered...and a lot faster when dealing with 300 Hard drives.. now I know it’s dated April 1st.. but I’m sure that is just a coincidence.. with Explosive Ordinance Disposal Units this result is Definitely obtainable..
Posted by Infinity on 08/31/2007 at 04:47 AM
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff • Military •
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Thursday - August 30, 2007
Help A Little City Out
I don’t ask for help often, but this one hits home.
Our little city has a section in it, like most cities, that could use some help. A friend of mine came here two years ago and has been refurbishing homes on this street, selling them to lower-income families to get a fresh start.
The Henkel company, which represents brands such as Dial, Purex and Soft Scrub, is holding a contest to have a cleaning crew come to one of three finalist towns and help do some cleaning.
Here’s the story from our local rag:
STAUNTON — A contest for beautification dollars could help the Queen City add another jewel to her crown — but your vote is needed.
Staunton is one of three finalists in a national, nomination-driven contest called Henkel Helps. The city with the most votes by Friday wins the services of a 10-person cleaning crew from Henkel, the company that represents brands such as Dial, Purex and Soft Scrub.
Makeba Robinson nominated Staunton’s Johnson Street for a Henkel-aided makeover, suggesting that the crew add more outdoor color and greenery and perhaps expand the neighborhood playground.
“I would like to beautify the area to help the kids be more proud of their community,” Robinson wrote in her nomination form.
Robinson is the facility coordinator for the Booker T. Washington Community Center, where she’s met many of the neighborhood children.
“I thought that it would be something nice for the kids,” she said.
The other two community finalists are Chittenango, N.Y., and Gainesville, Texas. The prize value is estimated to be $25,000.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, Staunton lagged behind the two other communities, garnering just 3 percent of the vote. Gainesville, Texas was winning with 74 percent of votes cast.
What I ask, dear reader, is a moment of your time to go to this site and vote for Staunton, VA. Let’s see if we can help provide a little cleaner place for the kids to play.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/30/2007 at 08:42 PM
Filed Under: • Personal •
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Which Three?
I listen to Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk (via my iPod). Since he was at Thunder Ranch filming episodes for Personal Defense TV, he decided to shoot a question for the upcoming Republican YouTube Debate.
Take a look and pass it along.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/30/2007 at 01:35 PM
Filed Under: • Politics •
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Wednesday - August 29, 2007
When Seconds Count, The Police Are Just Minutes Away
In my earlier post about the gun ownership rates in America, Dr. Jeff commented that:
Lawdog has a post about that very topic today.
My story begins early on Friday the [redacted]th of [redacted]. I live in rural [redacted], but work in [redacted], on the edge of what is rapidly becoming known as the bad side of town. Never knowing what traffic is going to be like, I leave pretty early to make it to the office on time. This particular Friday found me arriving exceptionally early due to a lack of utter fools on the road (for once. Every once in awhile, it DOES happen!), so I decided to swing into a local establishment to grab a breakfast kolache, then head back to work. I pulled into a side of the drive that’s not normal for me and noticed a Character walking along the back edge of the lot. Not unusual as we’re pretty surrounded by apartments and we’re between them and the local bus stops. Fortunately, I have assigned covered parking at my office. Unfortunately, it’s in the back far corner of the lot from the building, and right close to where said Character is walking. I keep my eye on the guy as I pull past him and turn down my row and park.
That was my first mistake.
Go read the rest for the outcome. How prepared are you?
Posted by Drew458 on 08/29/2007 at 04:56 PM
Filed Under: • Self-Defense •
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A reminder
Last year, Paul at Wizbang did a superb job of documenting and laying out the facts of what really happened in New Orleans after Katrina. For the anniversary of that storm, he re-publishes and updates that missive. If you have not read it before, you will be a better person for spending some time there and knowing the truth.
The Katrina Video Congress Didn’t Want You To See II
We’ve all heard the story, in the early morning hours of Aug 29, 2005, the Category 4 Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, overwhelming the New Orleans levee system and flooding the city. If you read Wizbang, you’ve known since early October of 2005 this story was fatally flawed.
In the months since Katrina, we’ve learned that the storm was a Category 1 by the time she hit New Orleans. No “Super Hurricane,” just an average storm. We’ve also learned that the New Orleans Hurricane Protection System was not overwhelmed by Katrina, it collapsed. Causing the Corps of Engineers to admit they flooded New Orleans not Katrina… An admission that got scant little media coverage. The Great Flood of New Orleans was not a natural disaster but a man made one.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/29/2007 at 04:51 PM
Filed Under: • Outrageous •
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Take it to Heart Wussies
For all the GFW’s* out there, here’s your worst nightmare story:
U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.
U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world’s 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.
About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said.
“There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people,” it said.
Bwahahahaha. That’s right baby, 9 out of 10.
Now, our good friend Kim has a slightly different take:
Some people are going to greet this news with glee. I’m not one of them.
Come on, people: everyone knows that you need at least a handgun, a shotgun and a rifle to be a functioning member of society. So the correct ratio should be 300 guns per hundred population. (And, as I’ve said many times before, we should ignore .22 rifles from the count, of course, because they are not weapons, but a household commodity like salt or sugar.)
I do celebrate, but Kim’s astute observation leaves me humble as always.
*GFW: Gun Fearing Wussies. From Kim as well.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/29/2007 at 02:01 PM
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Global Warming Update
First, the headline:
Scorching U.S. heat in 2006 blamed on humans
WASHINGTON (AP)—“We have met the enemy, and he is us,” the comic-strip character Pogo said decades ago. A new analysis of last year’s near-record temperatures in the United States suggests he was right.
Ok, so right off the bat we have an assertion. What is the back up for that assertion?
Warming caused by human activity was the biggest factor in the high temperatures recorded in 2006, according to a report by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The analysis, released Tuesday, is being published in the September issue of Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union.
In January, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center reported that 2006 was the warmest year on record over the 48 contiguous states with an average temperature 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal and 0.07 degree warmer than 1998, the previous warmest year on record.
Wow, pretty compelling stuff. But wait, I thought I read something about there being an issue with the algorithm they used to calcualte the “warmest year on record”.
In May, however, NOAA revised the 2006 ranking to the second warmest year after updated statistics showed the year was actually .08 F cooler than 1998.
Damn those statistics. OK, so it wasn’t the warmest year on record, but it can still be blamed on homo-sapiens, right?
At the time the agency said it was not clear how much of the warming was a result of greenhouse-gas induced climate change and how much resulted from the El Niño warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that was under way.
“We wanted to find out whether it was pure coincidence that the two warmest years on record both coincided with El Niño events,” Martin Hoerling of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, said in a statement.
His study looked at the effects of El Niño in the past as well as the effects of the release of gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by human industrial activities.
The analysis of past El Niño events in the 20th century found that the result was a slightly colder than normal annual average temperature over the 48 contiguous states.
To double check that, the researchers conducted two sets of 50-year computer simulations of U.S. climate, with and without the influence of El Niño. They again found a slight cooling across the nation when El Niño was present.
Then they looked at the effect of the increased greenhouse gases—which are given that name because they can help trap heat from the sun somewhat like a greenhouse traps heat.
Let me see if I understand. We have actual data to use from the past 50 years, so what they did was run a couple of simulations to see what the computers thought would happen if the situation was different. Then they looked at the effect of increased greenhouse gases (meaning different than what actually happened) and found:
They ran 42 different tests using complex computer models to simulate changes in the atmosphere under various conditions and concluded that the “2006 warmth was primarily due to human influences.”
Ooooooo. Complex computer models....I’m impressed. Are those the same models that can’t accurately predict the weather 15 days from now? The same ones that, given actual data, cannot predict what actually happened when they test history?
Yeah, I’m up with your conclusion here pal. Hows about you go back to your complex computer models and try to get them to accurately model reality first, then we’ll give you a shot at predicting the future.
Mkay?
Posted by Drew458 on 08/29/2007 at 12:50 PM
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •
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Tuesday - August 28, 2007
If I Were a Texan, He’d Get My Vote
Via Wizbang.
You remember last week when the EU tried to stop Texas from executing its 400th “victim”?
The statement from the Portuguese presidency of the 27-nation bloc said: “The European Union strongly urges Governor Rick Perry to exercise all powers vested in his office to halt all upcoming executions and to consider the introduction of a moratorium in the state of Texas.”
Texas Governor Rick Perry responded
“230 years ago, our forefathers fought a war to throw off the yoke of a European monarch and gain the freedom of self-determination. Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens. While we respect our friends in Europe, welcome their investment in our state and appreciate their interest in our laws, Texans are doing just fine governing Texas.”
Hot Damn. Now that’s an stand more of our politicians should be taking
Posted by Drew458 on 08/28/2007 at 03:28 PM
Filed Under: • EUro-peons • Politics •
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Happy Anniversary
I missed this on Sunday. Beldar lays down the gauntlet on John F. Kerry.
When I first brought it to his attention in September 2005, I reminded Sen. John F. Kerry that — based on the publication date on or about August 25, 2004, of Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry by John E. O’Neill and Jerome R. Corsi — Sen. Kerry had already allowed the one-year statutes of limitations for defamation to expire in Texas (where Mr. O’Neill resides), New Jersey (where Dr. Corsi resides), and the District of Columbia (where their publisher Regnery Publishing, Inc. has its principal place of business and Sen. Kerry has his own regular place of business).
But as I noted then, Sen. Kerry’s home state of Massachusetts has a very unusual, extremely generous and pro-plaintiff three-year limitations period for defamation claims. Massachusetts’ three-year statute of limitations for defamation claims made it the very last feasible venue in which Sen. Kerry conceivably could file suit and gain his public vindication, if the SwiftVets’ allegations about him were false. Those claims were certainly, indeed deliberately, injurious to his reputation; his damages arguably include the loss of the 2004 presidential election, however that might be valued in dollars and cents; and if John Kerry could hope to find a home-town advantage anywhere, surely it would be there. But now he’s let the incredibly generous Massachusetts statute of limitations run out, too.
I always found it interesting that this was never pursued. After all, he screamed and cried that they were telling all of these preposterous lies about him. All it would have taken is a little lawsuit. Doesn’t seem like much for a lawyer to do, right?
Now, for the challenge:
You have a standing offer from me: Just sue me here in Houston for defamation. After all, I’ve republished most of the SwiftVets’ claims here on my blog, and I’ve made many of them again in my own voice. I use a pseudonym for my blog name, but it’s not anonymous — my name and address are linked on every page of this blog, and have been since the day it started. I’ll waive any statute of limitations defense. I’ll waive service of process. Hell, I’ll meet you at the federal courthouse doors for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division (you have diversity jurisdiction), and I’ll even pay your filing fee!
You think it will be too expensive to have big teams of lawyers? Fine — since you were once a big-time courtroom lawyer, let’s just you and me tangle one-on-one, both of us pro se. (I’ll agree not to oppose your application for admission pro hac vice to the federal court here in Texas, and I’ll even pay the fees to get your law license reinstated in Massachusetts.) Just me at my table, you at yours, and then a set of jurors good and true in the jury box. (I may need a napkin, though, or maybe even a drool-bucket, because the very notion of going one-on-one with you in court is causing me to salivate.) Or, hell, you can have as many lawyers as you want, and I’ll still go pro se. Go fetch David Boies, he might do it for free (unless he’s already figured out what a loser your case would be). Whatever. As long as there’s a judge who can make you shut up each time your turn is over and who’ll then give me a fair turn, I’ll be satisfied.
My one stipulation is: No confidentiality orders, and no motions to quash. Everything that’s uncovered in pretrial discovery has to become part of the public record without delay. We’ll put it all on the internet via a neutral host (say, the WaPo). We’ll do the pretrial depos on video, too, and jointly move the court to permit TV coverage of the trial, so that the public (and the jury, eventually) can see who sweats under oath under the bright lights.
Mweh. Like it will ever happen. But in that it never will, it tells us volumnes about the character (or lack thereof) of the man.
Posted by Drew458 on 08/28/2007 at 02:01 PM
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Monday - August 27, 2007
DNC Tries to Bully Florida..
No Delegates at democratic convention if Florida primary isn’t moved back.. What are they so afraid of? that a State that actually matters in the Presidential election will be able to have a primary with all candidates on the Ballot instead of having to wait till March when some have already dropped out due to the results from Iowa and states like that? I hope the RNC doesn’t follow suit but theres rumor they might. Since when should the RNC or DNC be able to tell a state how to run their primaries?
SourceDemocratic Party bars Florida party members from 2008 convention if primary is held before Feb. 5
The New York TimesWASHINGTON | The Democratic National Committee voted Saturday to refuse to seat any Florida Democrat at the 2008 presidential convention if the state party did not delay its primary.
The committee gave Florida Democrats 30 days to propose a primary date that conformed with Democratic rules prohibiting all but four states from holding their primaries or caucuses before Feb. 5.
Florida leaders, who seemed stunned by a near-unanimous vote and the severity of the punishment, said they doubted they could come up with an alternative. They said they were bound by the vote of the Republican-controlled state Legislature, which set the primary for Jan. 29.
Democrats have been struggling to change their nominating calendar to accommodate party leaders, who object to the dominance that Iowa and New Hampshire have enjoyed because they are first in the nominating process.
I also think all Primaries should be open primaries.. but I doubt that will ever happen for all states either..
Posted by Infinity on 08/27/2007 at 10:16 PM
Filed Under: • Democrats-Liberals-Moonbat Leftists • Politics •
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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:
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.
- 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
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.