Wednesday - September 14, 2011
Seemed Obvious To Me
NEW YORK – Republicans have scored an upset victory in a House race that became a referendum on President Barack Obama’s economic policies.
Retired media executive and political novice Bob Turner defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin in a special election Tuesday to succeed Rep. Anthony Weiner, a seven-term Democrat who resigned in June after a sexting scandal.
With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting, Turner had 54 percent of the vote to Weprin’s 46 percent in unofficial results.
“We’ve been asked by the people of this district to send a message to Washington,” Turner told supporters after the landmark win. “I hope they hear it loud and clear. We’ve been told this is a referendum. Mr. President, we are on the wrong track. We have had it with an irresponsible fiscal policy which endangers the entire economy.”
Wait and see. He could be just another RINO. But New Yorkers were pretty embarrassed by Weiner, and Weprin, the “shoe-in” candidate selected by the Democrat Machine that matched all the local demographics (he’s one of us, let’s elect him!) found himself at odds with the locals over his stance on Gay Marriage and other issues.
The heavily Democratic district, which spans parts of Queens and Brooklyn, had never sent a Republican to the House. But frustration with the continued weak national economy gave Republicans the edge.
Turner has vowed to bring business practicality to Washington and push back on spending and taxes.
Yup, wait and see. But the press is seeing this as an Obama rebuke ... and this district has NEVER elected a Republican, EVER, even though the R party is about 160 years old by now. So the MSM may be right for once.
Hey, one more R in the House. It can’t hurt.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/14/2011 at 10:31 AM
Filed Under: • Politics •
• Comments (4)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Reciprocity
First, a little background ...
Reciprocity: you show me yours and I’ll show you mine. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. The whole reciprocity concept falls under Article IV Section 1 and Section 2 of the US Constitution:
Article. IV.
Section. 1.
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.Section. 2.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.
No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
In terms of licensing, reciprocity often - but not always - means that licenses granted in one state are valid in all other states. This is the fulcrum for the whole Gay Marriage thing; get married in Massachusetts, and you are considered to be married in Arizona. Get a driver’s license in Oklahoma and you can legally drive in New Jersey. But the concept is not directly federally mandated, even though it appears to be in the ‘Privileges and Immunities’ clause. Some licenses, such as a license to practice law or medicine, are state only; the rest are generally recognized by the Several States. License (in it’s basic definition as permission) to issue insurance has been in-state only for a very long time. And that is where the rub comes in, especially concerning guns.
In Section 1 it does look like Congress has the power to make laws that would enforce reciprocity, although this has not often (ever?) been done before. Now there is a bill before the House that would flex that Section 1 muscle and mandate Concealed Carry reciprocity. On the surface this would appear to be a bill that enlarges the freedoms of the citizenry, so I’d be in favor of it. But there are several bumps in the road, not the least of which is that a couple of states have no licensing or permitting process at all concerning firearms ( I should wish that all states were that way ).
The bill in question is called HR 822: the national right-to-carry Act of 2011. It had been in committee for a long time, but by May enough cosponsors had signed on to force it to a debate on the floor:
This bill gained 13 more cosponsors bringing the total to 227. Well over the top needed to get this bill moving. We could be seeing the beginning of the first movement of a gun related bill in the last two Congresses. Which brings up an interesting problem not only for the Senate, but for Obama as well.
Lets look at this from a purely political point of view and forget the Constitutionality aspect. This actually appears to be able to pass the House. If so, you can bet your bottom dollar, the Senate is watching this and already know there is a distinct possibility that they will have to debate/pass/reject this bill. What do they do? Well, we are in the beginning of the so called campaign mode. Each and every one of the Class 1 senators are up for re-election in ‘12. So, what do they do? Most likely pass the bill.
NOW it hits Obama’s desk. He has already angered the far left, and now he is faced with this. What does he do? He knows full well both Gore and Kerry lost their bid for the White House because of the “gun” issue, and at the moment, his re-election is in serious doubt. Does he veto the bill and remain in doubt, or does he sign the bill into law and increase his chances at re-election because he will have gained a considerable amount of the “gun vote”.
The plot thickens.
Please recall that at least 48 states have laws that allow CCW at this point. Putting a gun in your pocket legally is a done deal in almost the entire nation. 41 states are either Shall Issue or Unrestricted at this point in time. The 7 May Issue states are a mixed bag, where May Issue can mean anything from Never Issue anywhere to Shall Issue in this or that county only.- Please recall that most of those states already have reciprocity agreements with all, most, or many of those other states. It is labyrinthine and confusing though.
- Please recall that federal laws already exist that allow police, retired police, and certain special people to carry in all the states.
Bottom line is that HR 822 is almost unnecessary legislation, except for a small handful of hold out states, IL, NY and NJ among them. The problem is that those few hold out states together contain a really large chunk of the national population.
Now on to the story
House Weighs Bill to Make Gun Permits Valid Across State Lines
Lawmakers are considering a House bill that would give Americans who hold permits to carry firearms in their home states the right to carry their weapons across state lines.
Although many states have entered into voluntary agreements, there is no nationwide framework for honoring permits and licenses uniformly. A bipartisan bill, co-authored by Reps. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., and Heath Shuler, D-N.C., aims to change that.
Supporters say the measure would not create a federal licensing system, but would require that all states recognize lawfully issued permits—regardless of where they were issued. Gun rights advocacy groups say it’s the only way to make sure that lawful gun owners’ Second Amendment rights are guaranteed when they travel away from their home states.
But opponents say the bill tramples on each state’s autonomy to set the standards legislators believe are necessary to confront local problems. Foes also said that the law could allow violent offenders to hold on to their weapons.
Testifying before Congress on Tuesday, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey told the story of Marqus Hill, a man whose Pennsylvania gun permit was revoked after he was charged with attempted murder.
“Despite his record, he then used his Florida permit to carry a loaded gun in Philadelphia,” Ramsey said. “He eventually shot a teenager thirteen times in the chest killing him on the street.”
Not mentioned in the news article is that Ramsey is an anti-gun zealot right up there with NYC Mayor Bloomberg, or that Philadelphia has routinely, almost annually, passed anti-gun legislation that the PA courts have then thrown out.
So what to do? Gosh, let’s bring in the PACS and see what they have to say! [duh, who could’ve seen that coming? {sarc} And I wonder what they’ll say? {/sarc}]
Gun rights advocates say the dire warnings about expanding the rights of law-abiding citizens are overblown. Wayne LaPierre, executive director of the National Rifle Association, said the American public is more interested in self-defense than scare tactics. He’s also predicting a win for what has been dubbed the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011.
“It cuts across Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives—even President Obama’s base is strongly in favor of this legislation,” LaPierre said..
Gun control groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence have successfully defeated similar legislation in the past, and vow to stop this bill as well. They’re aligning with a number of elected officials and law enforcement organizations, who say this measure would make it even tougher for officers to determine which guns are on the streets legally or illegally.
Somewhere in here I hope there is room for some truth. National criminal databases already exist, and I’m fairly sure that they can be accessed in real-time right from the computer that most police cars have in the front seat these days. So such a determination may not be all that difficult, although it make take a minor change and a bit of IT work on those databases to make a “no guns” notation for certain convictions that would then come up on a field query put in by an officer on the street.
Licensing and permitting procedures may need to be ramped up to a common standard, and that common standard will have to be of the California/New York/New Jersey level of drill-down. On the other hand, since all states are now required to use the NICS system for firearms purchases done at gun stores, and that the NICS system already checks those aforementioned databases (the implication thus is that such a “no guns” notation already must exist!), that common standard may already exist de facto. So Chief Ramsey’s fear may only bear fruit when we’re talking about felons from Alaska and Vermont who purchased their guns via private sales (aka “the notorious Gun Show Loophole") ... and I don’t think that group of felons is large enough to be a problem here in NJ or even across the river in PA. Maybe the ones from Arizona are the trouble makers, I can’t say.
But you can expect the media to make a full on symphony out of playing the heartstrings.
Personally, I’m in favor of HR 822. Heck, I want it to become even larger: pass it into national law (losing Obama even more of his base, yeehaa!) and then listen to the New Jersey Legislature try and keep their state “May Issue” (which in truth means “Except For You” for 99.999998% of us) when citizens of all the other 57 states can now carry here but the actual residents can’t. Another entertaining bit of theater would take place in Illinois, the last remaining state to flatly deny it’s citizens the right to carry. Can’t you just see the hangdog expressions on the left wing IL legislators when their golden boy in DC signs a national reciprocity law?
Posted by Drew458
on 09/14/2011 at 08:35 AM
Filed Under: • Guns and Gun Control •
• Comments (9)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Tuesday - September 13, 2011
Social Security Math
It may only be Tuesday, but my bet is that this is the best comment of the week from any blog:
Eric Praline commenting at Soylent Green, on Social Security being a Ponzi scheme and the GOP candidate’s kerfluffle over such a statement of truth:
Let’s break down the numbers: with a $100 trillion unfunded liability, and the average worker contributes $200,000 over a lifetime (according to investmentpedia, whatever that’s worth) that means 500 million new suckers are needed. With a sucker born every minute, that works out to about 950.6 years.
Romney’s right, that seems like a solid strategy to me. Can kicking FTW.
FTW is right. Effing fantastic.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 03:11 PM
Filed Under: • Government • Humor •
• Comments (1)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • innocent or sensual?
This is west coast model Ryonen. She may look 15, but she’s actually 22. I think she’s kind of got a Christina Ricci thing going on, but that might just be me.
(slightly NSFW below the fold)
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 01:21 PM
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •
• Comments (4)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Left Fantasy May Become Reality
"What if schools were fully funded and the military had to have a bake sale to buy bombs?” Gak, you’ve heard that one before. Now in the disarmed, fully neutered, completely dickless land of warm beer and soggy fried fish, it may just become a reality. Having rid the Royal Navy of it’s last remaining aircraft carrier, the Green Plan is neither to sell it to the wonderful Chinese nor to break it up for scrap. No, the plan is to sink it off the coast and turn it into a reef, in the belief that this will somehow earn millions. Idiots.
HMS Ark Royal could be turned into artificial diving reef
An ambitious scheme to scuttle the decommissioned aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal off Devon to create an artificial diving reef has won the backing of councillors.
Members of Torbay council’s harbour committee voted unanimously to support the proposal to sink the Royal Navy’s former flagship six miles off the English Riviera.
There are still many hurdles for the charity behind the scheme to overcome, not least buying the vessel, which was taken out of service as part of defence cuts.
But the harbour committee’s unanimous backing of a proposal to lease part of the seabed from the Crown Estate to create a final resting place for the Ark is seen as a major step forward by the many champions of the plan in Devon.
In Torbay the idea of buying the vessel and turning it into an artificial reef was hatched over drinks at a sailing club and quickly turned into a solid plan. A charity called Wreck the World has been formed and it has put in a bid of £3.5m for the Ark.
One of the charity’s founders, Michael Byfield, said: “It’s been a steep learning curve and there are still lots of obstacles but we feel we are getting somewhere.”
Wreck the World believes that divers would be attracted to Torbay from around the world if the scheme came to fruition, bringing in an estimated £10m a year to the local economy.
Byfield said he believed it would be best to scuttle the ship so that the top of it came to rest five to 10 metres below the surface, making it accessible to many more divers than if it was sunk deeper.
He would prefer to see the Ark settle upright on the seabed, allowing less confident divers to explore areas such as the bridge while more experienced ones could venture down to the deck and hull.
Naturally, measures will have to be taken to ensure it would not pose a risk to any other shipping. Detailed environmental surveys would be carried out to check that the wreck would enhance rather than harm marine life.
Dude, 5 to 10 meters down is going to make the thing a major navigation hazard. And if you make it easily accessible to novice divers, it’s going to become a lobster pot for people. A drowning magnet. This is not a fitting end for a great ship, but a tragic and ignomious one, and what makes it worse is that Ark Royal still could have had years of active duty in her. But why on earth would an island culture, once upon a time the greatest naval power in the world, want a navy for? Sink them all, and let the greenies come dive on the hulks for self-righteous fun. Geex, what happens when you get a swelled head when you’re 20 meters down? Does that cause instant oxygen narcosis? Gosh, I hope so.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 12:33 PM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
• Comments (1)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Sandbox Play For Adults
Drive a bulldozer and shoot a machine gun for $525 in Vegas
By Julie Jacobson, APWhat to do with all those empty construction sites in Las Vegas, where work on a handful of hotels and other projects has halted in the last few years due to the see-saw economy?
A company called Dig This has a solution, according to the Associated Press. Give tourists one of the most original outings ever: letting them get behind the wheel of heavy machinery including bulldozers and excavators so they can play construction worker. Moving sand and rock not far from the Trump International Hotel and Palace Station casino isn’t for penny-slot players; it starts at $210 for an hour and a half on one machine and climbs up to $750 for hours of play on a bulldozer and an excavator.
And it’s not just the male species fascinated by playing Bob the Builder. “Fifty percent of our clients are women,” Dig This owner Ed Mumm tells me. “They’re very good because they listen and they don’t put as much pressure” on the machinery.
The AP article quotes Mary Fitzsimons, an emergency room doctor from Walnut Creek, Calif., who took the quick intro course and spent two hours digging a trench, stacking tires and picking up basketballs and placing them on the top of cones. “I thought it would be much clunkier, and the lighter you are with the controls, the easier it worked,” she told the AP.
Mumm said he started Dig This after renting an excavator while building a house. “I thought to myself: ‘If I’m having this much fun, imagine the amount of people that don’t get to do this stuff that would love to do this,’ “ he said, according to the AP. Dig This is billed as “America’s first and only heavy equipment playground.”
One of the more unusual offerings is a “Dig and Destroy” package ($525). Participants work the heavy machinery, then are taken to a nearby shooting range to run through what’s billed as “50 rounds of ammo-KRISS Super V (fully automatic Sub-Machine Gun); 10 rounds of ammo- Saiga 12 (short barrel Semi-Automatic shot gun); 20 rounds of ammo-M60 (fully automatic machine gun). Less expensive scoop-and-shoot packages are available.
I gather she didn’t actually give it a try, because I’m utterly certain that bulldozers don’t have steering wheels. And I’d want more ammo for the M60; at least 100 rounds.
Las Vegas has seen its share of heavy construction equipment as it bulldozed its way through one giant casino project after another. But with the recession having gutted the construction industry, excavators and bulldozers near the Strip are being put to use as toys for thrill-seeking visitors.
A business owner has created what amounts to a life-sized sandbox for adults who pay up to $750 each to push around dirt, rock and huge tires with the earth-moving construction equipment. All it takes is a 10-minute classroom lesson and guidance from trainers through headsets.
...
“When they’re in those machines, everything else doesn’t mean anything,” added Mumm, 45. “They’ve forgotten about all the stresses in their lives because the fact is, they’ve got to focus on that piece of equipment. When they get in there and they rev up that engine, they know they’ve got a serious program on their hands.”
The play sandbox sits just across the freeway from the Las Vegas Strip, near remnants of an actual construction industry that nosedived in 2008 and hasn’t recovered.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 12:22 PM
Filed Under: • Economics • Fun-Stuff •
• Comments (1)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Murder On The High Seas
A Mayday broadcast from a French catamaran last Thursday led to a rescue mission that was too late to save one of the boat’s owners.
Christian Colombo (55), a former member of the French navy, and his wife Evelyne had been sailing the Tribal Kat through the notorious Gulf of Aden - against all advice - en route via the Indian Ocean to Thailand when they were attacked.
A German warship responding to the Mayday found the empty catamaran off the coast of Yemen. Signs of a bloody struggle on board initiated an air and sea search by the EU’s anti-piracy task force in the area.
On Saturday the Spanish naval ship Galicia caught up with a suspect vessel. About to open fire, the Spaniards realised hostage Evelyne Colombo was among those on board the skiff. She was rescued and seven pirates were arrested.
Her husband is thought to have been killed when the Tribal Kat was taken. Others may have been on board the catamaran as well, as the couple were known to take on friends as ad hoc crew members. However, until Mme Colombo is able to give a full account of events, the fate of any others is unknown.
EUNAVFOR assets stopped and boarded a skiff thought to have been involved in an incident with the French Sailing Yacht (SY) TRIBAL KAT. One member of the crew from the yacht was found safe.
The SY TRIBAL KAT was located on 8 September, by the EU NAVFOR warship FGS BAYERN, who responded to a distress call from the yacht and located off the coast of Yemen. At that time and following an inspection of the yacht, the crew could not be found. Spanish warship SPS GALICIA, with support from EU NAVFOR warship FS SURCOUF, located and trailed the suspected pirate skiff.
According to the Spanish Defense Ministry, the GALICIA detected a boat suspected of piracy-related activities while on a surveillance mission off the Somali coast. After an initial investigation confirmed the suspicion, the pirates refused to stop and revealed to the GALICIA that they were holding a hostage on board.
The GALICIA proceeded to intercept the pirate vessel with their embarked helicopter and naval warfare team, who fired on the boat’s engine, rendering it inoperable.
Following an exchange of gunfire, the pirate skiff was sunk and members of the Spanish Navy successfully rescued the hostage. Upon getting her to safety, they proceeded to the arrest the 7 pirates.
“One of the crew members was released safely and all of the suspect criminals were detained. The whereabouts of the remaining crew is unknown,” EU NAVFOR said. “During the operation the hostage was not wounded or injured and all the suspect criminals were detained unharmed.”
“EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta assets have today, 10 September, stopped and boarded a skiff thought to have been involved in an incident with the French Sailing Yacht (SY) TRIBAL KAT. One member of the crew from the yacht was found safe.
The sailboat Tribal Kat is currently being towed in for further analysis. At this time, it is believed that there were four crew members taken captive, and their whereabouts are currently unknown.
Oh sure, a skiff full of Somali pirates just happened to be motoring by when they saw the woman in the water, and - such good Samaritans that they are - they plucked her from the water. After that they had no choice but to shoot at the Spanish Navy when they came calling, because she was cooking them up a nice dish of wat and a batch of injera bread, and they were hungry. Yeah right.
Christian and Evelyne Colombo’s family was informed overnight that the 55-year-old was killed during the attack and his body thrown overboard before their catamaran was found abandoned on Thursday, the same source said.
...
Christian Colombo was a former French navy crewman and the couple were experienced sailors who wanted to see the world and were passing through the Gulf of Aden en route for the Indian Ocean and eventually Thailand.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 12:01 PM
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •
• Comments (0)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Le Tour De France
I’m messing about with this old PC today, trying to repair the damage I inadvertently inflicted yesterday; while trying to clean up some old files, I used a software removal program that was very overly enthusiastic. Bad program! Not only did it uninstall the ancient software, it took out all the associated files, which happened to include all my system fonts, about 900 registry entries, and any number of .dll files which actually belonged to other programs. And then absolutely erased them using government level security methods. So I’ve been busy trying to rebuild things.
Anyway, I ran across this picture in some old folder, and it reminded me of Steamboat McGoo, a great but currently retired blogger. How? He used to run these funny mystery pictures, all titled “When you see it, you’ll shit a brick” and then remark in various ways how little mortar or kiln fired clay he had actually passed. So here’s one of those from me ... if you have to play tourist in France, this looks like a pretty good way to do it.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/13/2011 at 08:27 AM
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •
• Comments (2)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Monday - September 12, 2011
Doing Hippy Right
DKNY channels hippy chic at New York Fashion Week
Donna Karan is New York through-and-through - and what better way to channel the spirit of the city on the 9/11 anniversary than to feature a New York street as the backdrop to her fashion show?
On the street-side catwalk, the 62-year-old’s DKNY label - more accessible and affordable than her Donna Karan line - took a step back to the hippy Seventies with its wide-brimmed floppy hats and bright colours.
The grande dame of American fashion dressed her long-haired models in retro prints, short minis and long, floaty dresses.
And if the selection of hippy-influenced outfits are anything to go by, the trend for all things Seventies looks in no sign of going away soon.
Larger-than-life floppy hats completed outfits in matching hues and prints, giving each look a sun-drenched holiday feel, transporting the audience to warmer days, while on the street outside, pedestrians, taxis and onlookers were treated to their very own view of the show.
Royal blue, fire engine red and lollipop pink stood out, while more natural nudes and white added lightness to flowing, feminine frocks. A mini-dress with matching hat, bag and heels echoed a more Sixties feel.
Retro: Larger-than-life floppy hats completed outfits in matching hues and prints, giving each look a sun-drenched holiday feel, transporting the audience to warmer days
Platform heels, gracing many a model’s svelte feet at Fashion Week so far, added to the theme, their colourful straps again matching with hats and dresses.
Gosh, what a surprise: gorgeous young models with long flowing hair, legs up to there on parade, short skirts and loose flowing outfits look fabulous! Who would have ever guessed? Ok, I’m not too impressed with the shoes ... every model wore the same shoes, matched to each outfit ... but still. You could put these women in singed burlap bags and they’d still be stunning.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/12/2011 at 01:10 PM
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •
• Comments (2)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Mild Storm Shatters UK???
* Britain hit by winds of up to 80mph
* Thousands of homes across central England lose power
* All high-speed ferries from Portsmouth to France are canceled
Britain was today lashed by winds of up to 80mph which tore roofs off buildings, uprooted trees and knocked power out to thousands of homes.
In the worst storm to hit the UK in 15 years, ferries were cancelled and motorists were warned to take extra care when driving.
A couple from Wales have told how they were woken in the night to discover their entire roof had blown off in Hurricane Katia’s 60mph gales.
Ports around Britain have been battered by huge waves leading to the cancellation of ferries while trees have been uprooted, causing damage to cars and houses.
The swirling remnants of Hurricane Katia have crossed the Atlantic and hit land by this morning, sweeping across large swathes of the country.
Forecasters issued urgent weather alerts for Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North East, North West and parts of the Midlands and Wales as the storm prepares to make its way eastwards.
The high winds have been accompanied by heavy rain and the Environment Agency has issued several flood alerts for inland and coastal areas.
In County Durham workers had their cars crushed after a newly-installed roof was torn off a building and landed on more than 15 vehicles.
As gales of up to 50mph hit struck, the entire roof flew off a building under construction at the Littleburn Industrial Estate, Langley Moor, over a fence and smashed onto the parked cars at the neighbouring Bako Northern site, around 10 feet away.
...
Increasing wind speeds as the hurricane approached forced the cancellation of high speed ferries to France from Portsmouth.
Brittany Ferries said it was scrapping its high speed ferries on two crossings scheduled from Portsmouth to Cherbourg today.
Safety regulations state that when waves reach a height of 10 feet or more the high speed crossings must not go ahead. A spokesman for the company said it hopes to have all services operating as usual by tomorrow.
Thousands of homes, shops and business across central England were blacked out this morning when the hurricane winds damaged overhead power lines.
Central Networks said ‘an overhead incident’ had left 51 homes in Oxfordshire, 806 properties in Northamptonshire, two properties in Warwickshire and around a further 1,650 properties as far apart as Derbyshire and Gloucestershire without electricity.
Gusts of 73mph hit Capel Curig in North Wales at 5am today.
The Environment Agency has issued several flood alerts for inland and coastal areas.
...
Organisers of the America’s Cup lifted out all the boats taking part in the international sailing competition in Plymouth as 70mph gusts swept the Devon coast today.
This Met Office map shows where the storm has concentrated todayThis Met Office map shows where the storm has concentrated today
Nine catamarans from seven countries taking part in the event were removed from the water and taken ashore because of fears that the boats - worth up to £800,000 each - could be damaged by the hurricane.
...
The western coast of Anglesey has also been issued with an alert with waves of up to two metres high expected to lash certain areas, while water levels at Derwent Water, Cumbria, remain high. The South East and South West will largely escape its wrath, but wind speeds are still expected to reach up to 50mph in places, the Met Office said.
Forecasters issued a yellow alert, warning people to be on their guard, for more than half of the country and placed several areas on amber alert – the second-highest of four levels. There were warnings the storm could disrupt road and rail networks and damage buildings, and trees could be uprooted.
The worst conditions will be in northern and western parts of England and central and southern Scotland. The Environment Agency issued flood alerts for the North East, North West and Wales. Coastal areas are said to be at greatest risk of flooding with strong winds to gales, large waves and a surge coinciding with high tides. High winds will continue into tomorrow before petering out on Wednesday. Homeowners were warned to check for loose tiles and bring garden furniture indoors to help prevent flying debris.
Well, to be a little fair and balanced, they have closed some roads ...
The M6, one of the UK’s busiest motorways, was closed at the Thelwall viaduct in Cheshire because of high winds, with drivers advised to use the M61 as a diversion. Barton Bridge on the M60 Manchester outer ring road was also closed.
Sharp gusts and the beginnings of gales were reported on the north-west coast and in Snowdonia, adding strength to Met Office warnings of potential disruption, damage and flooding.
The Met Office severe weather warning map for Monday has the whole of central and southern Scotland under an amber block denoting “be prepared”, stretching south into North Yorkshire and Cumbria. An area of pale yellow, meaning “be aware”, covers the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of Wales and England as far south as Lincolnshire.
... and shut down many of their vaunted wind turbines, because they can’t deal with the wind ...
Britain’s energy network operator National Grid may need to shut down a number of wind power farms on Monday night as strong winds threaten to overload the transmission system with electricity at times when demand is low, a spokesman said.
“If we’ve got constraints and too much generation we’ll go back in there. Nothing (is decided) yet today but if it stays this windy, we may have to look at it,” he said.
The grid operator had to shut down 750 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in Scotland on Saturday night and 300 MW on Sunday night as the network was congested.
I’m sure everything will be fine and dandy and all cleaned up by Wednesday at the latest. After all, it’s hardly more than a bit of wind and light rain at the end of a very wet summer, and with their wonderful infrastructure, well made homes and roads, underground utilities and massive government, there won’t be a single tree that lies fallen for more than an hour before it gets chopped up and cleared away. Certainly there won’t be any flooding; such things are simply un-British and thus not done. Sharon Churcher will be proud.
There could be one really bright spot in this: hurricanes and tornadoes just love to destroy mobile homes and RVs ... what the English call caravans ... in which so many of those gypsies and travelers live!
Posted by Drew458
on 09/12/2011 at 11:17 AM
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •
• Comments (0)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • some of our favorite folk in slavery charge.
No time for much more then sharing this ….. on the move.
There’s just no getting away from some of our favorite people. Is there?
Shaven-headed, starved and beaten, the 24 slaves rescued in police raid on travellers’ site - some after 15 years in captivity
Victims lured from soup kitchens, benefit offices and hostels
One suicidal man ‘rescued’ from a bridge and promised a better future
Slaves kept in filthy kennels and horse-boxes - one held for 15 years
Five people from the travellers’ site arrested
By CHRIS GREENWOOD
Last updated at 8:25 AM on 12th September 2011Two dozen modern day slaves held in appalling conditions were rescued when police raided a travellers’ camp yesterday.
About 200 officers stormed the site where the men were being kept in filthy caravans, dog kennels and horseboxes.
Some were starving. The vulnerable victims had been lured from soup kitchens, benefit offices and hostels with promises of paid jobs and shelter.
They were put to work in gruelling manual labouring jobs including paving driveways and clearing rubble because they were deemed cheaper than hiring machinery.
At least one man had been kept as a slave for 15 years. Another was found with dog excrement on his clothes. Investigators are now working to uncover the true scale of the horror amid speculation that there may have been hundreds of victims.
Five travellers – four men and a woman – from the site were arrested for offences under anti-slavery legislation introduced last year. They will be questioned by police today at police stations in Bedfordshire and Hertfodshire. Three more suspects were being hunted last night.
But police are facing searching questions over why they did not act sooner after it emerged that claims of slavery at the site were first made three years ago.
Twenty-eight men have come forward with such allegations since 2008.
The slavery ring was uncovered at Greenacre caravan site, a long-established gipsy site in Billington, near Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.
Police believe a gang of Irish travellers are behind the shocking racket. They said some victims were kept in kennels and horseboxes.
Detective Chief Inspector Sean O’Neil, who led the dawn raid, said: ‘The men we found at the site were in a poor state of physical health and the conditions they were living in were shockingly filthy and cramped.
Posted by peiper
on 09/12/2011 at 04:09 AM
Filed Under: • Travelers/Gypsies/Squatters •
• Comments (5)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Sunday - September 11, 2011
10 Years After
Alas, what is:
Statement by President Obama on the 10th Anniversary of the Attacks of 9-11: The Partnerships We Need
September 10, 2011On this 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, we remember that 9/11 was not only an attack on the United States, it was an attack on the world and on the humanity and hopes that we share.
We remember that among the nearly 3,000 innocent people lost that day were hundreds of citizens from more than 90 nations. They were men and women, young and old, of many races and faiths. On this solemn anniversary we join with their families and nations in honoring their memory.
...
As President, I’ve worked to renew the global cooperation we need to meet the full breadth of global challenges that we face. Through a new era of engagement, we’ve forged partnerships with nations and peoples based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
...
Meanwhile, people across the Middle East and North Africa are showing that the surest path to justice and dignity is the moral force of nonviolence, not mindless terrorism and violence.
...
At the same time, we have recommitted ourselves to living our values at home. As a nation of immigrants, the United States welcomes people from every country and culture.
Oh, it’s even worse. Thanks to the left, 9/11 is becoming a “day of service and remembrance”, something as mealy as Arbor Day.
The First Family Pays Tribute to 9-11 Victims by Joining a Service Project
To honor those we lost in the worst attack ever on our soil, September 11th has been designated as a National Day of Service and Remembrance, and like many Americans across the country this weekend, the First Family paid their respects by joining a service project. The Obamas prepared food for those in need at DC Central Kitchen, an organization that turns leftover food into meals for thousands of at-risk individuals while offering nationally recognized culinary job training to formerly homeless and hungry adults, which is located near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
All of this is no surprise, no shocking revelation. This was Obama then, when still an Illinois state senator:
We must also engage, however, in the more difficult task of understanding the sources of such madness. The essence of this tragedy, it seems to me, derives from a fundamental absence of empathy on the part of the attackers: an inability to imagine, or connect with, the humanity and suffering of others. Such a failure of empathy, such numbness to the pain of a child or the desperation of a parent, is not innate; nor, history tells us, is it unique to a particular culture, religion, or ethnicity. It may find expression in a particular brand of violence, and may be channeled by particular demagogues or fanatics. Most often, though, it grows out of a climate of poverty and ignorance, helplessness and despair.
We will have to make sure, despite our rage, that any U.S. military action takes into account the lives of innocent civilians abroad. We will have to be unwavering in opposing bigotry or discrimination directed against neighbors and friends of Middle Eastern descent. Finally, we will have to devote far more attention to the monumental task of raising the hopes and prospects of embittered children across the globe — children not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and within our own shores.
I am ashamed to live in the same hemisphere as this spineless oozing America hating coward.
Posted by Drew458
on 09/11/2011 at 10:59 AM
Filed Under: • War On Terror •
• Comments (5)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Saturday - September 10, 2011
Calvin kicked my butt!
Having too much fun with the chess posts. At least Drew and peiper are commenting. I’m gonna make them decent chess players.
In March 2002 International Master Calvin Blocker came to the Dayton Chess Club. He gave a simul. He kicked my @ss. Here’s a picture of me playing the IM.
David is a board away. He’s looking on with interest. See, David has a much higher rating than me, but both times we’ve met over-the-board, I’ve won.
Posted by Christopher
on 09/10/2011 at 05:35 PM
Filed Under: • CHESS •
• Comments (0)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • the looming eviction at Dale Farm and evidence that gypos lying. oh surely not. update
A not altogether update surprise with regard to the ‘travelers’ so called, because it’s discovered that in spite of claims that if evicted they’d have no place else to go, (hell should be a good option for em) it appears some of the families do indeed have other places.
In fact ... some have houses in Ireland.
I’m sure some of our BMEWS readers will recall this bit of false hand wringing.
Well, seems not all, are all that lost. Take a look.
Revealed: The Irish houses secretly ‘owned’ by Dale Farm travellers facing evictionBy PAMELA OWEN
Last updated at 3:30 PM on 10th September 2011Many travellers who say they will have nowhere to live when they are evicted from Britain’s biggest gipsy camp secretly own properties elsewhere, it has been claimed.
The 86 families have long protested they’ll be made homeless when they are forcibly removed from Dale Farm, Essex.
However, new evidence has revealed many of them are connected to homes in Rathkeale, a town in the Republic of Ireland which is often regarded as a spiritual home for travellers.
A number of them are listed on deeds, others are on planning applications to build property and many are still listed on the electoral roll.
David McPherson-Davis, an Essex parish councillor, said: ‘This appears to confirm suspicions people have had for a number of years following various inquiries carried out into the background of the people on the Dale Farm site.
‘It indicates there are alternative places for, at least, some of the families to return to. It begs the question, why do they keep denying they have anywhere to go?
John Dornan, a local Tory councillor in Essex, said: ‘I am sick to the back teeth of calling for an inquiry into the funding and management of this site.
‘We have travellers saying they chipped in and spent between £1.8million and £2.5million on developing Dale Farm, when the majority of people were on benefits. How?
‘And now there is more evidence of some of them with access to property elsewhere.’
“why do they keep denying they have anywhere to go?”
Cos this is a culture of liars and thieves and it comes naturally to them.
Posted by peiper
on 09/10/2011 at 12:14 PM
Filed Under: • Travelers/Gypsies/Squatters •
• Comments (4)
•
Trackbacks(0)
Permalink • Five Most Recent Trackbacks:
Once Again, The One And Only Post
(4 total trackbacks)
Tracked at iHaan.org
Thｅ advantage to having a guide with you is thɑt an expert will haѵe very first hand experience dealing and navigating the river with гegional wildlife. Tһomas, there are great…
On: 07/28/23 10:37
The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We've Been Waiting For
(3 total trackbacks)
Tracked at head to the Momarms site
The Brownshirts: Partie Deux; These aare the Muscle We’ve Been Waiting For
On: 03/14/23 11:20
Vietnam Homecoming
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at 广告专题配音 专业从事中文配音跟外文配音制造，北京名传天下配音公司
专业从事中文配音和外文配音制作，北京名传天下配音公司 北京名传天下专业配音公司成破于2006年12月，是专业从事中 中文配音 文配音跟外文配音的音频制造公司，幻想飞腾配音网领 配音制作 有海内外优良专业配音职员已达500多位，可供给一流的外语配音，长年服务于国内中心级各大媒体、各省市电台电视台，能满意不同客户的各种需要。电话：010-83265555 北京名传天下专业配音公司…
On: 03/20/21 07:00
meaningless marching orders for a thousand travellers ... strife ahead ..
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at Casual Blog
[...] RTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPL [...]
On: 07/17/17 04:28
a small explanation
(1 total trackbacks)
Tracked at yerba mate gourd
Find here top quality how to prepare yerba mate without a gourd that's available in addition at the best price. Get it now!
On: 07/09/17 03:07
DISCLAIMER
THE 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:
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
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.
Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner
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.
RSS 2.0 
Atom 
