I saw this quote over at Western Rifle Shooters Association and thought not only was it good for July 4, but it sums up rather nicely why I post the things I do, why I keep bending the ear of our representatives, and why I share it with everyone else.
Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than live as slaves. --Winston Churchill
I hope this is a joke. Correct me if I'm wrong, but even after reading the whole thing I kept looking for evidence that it was and I could not find any. A grandson at home with his disabled grandmother called 911 asking for assistance with her medication, which he was not familiar with. Instead of sending a medical professional, "as many as ten El Reno police" officers "pushed their way through the door." WHAAAAAAT?
Police Tasered an 86-year-old disabled grandma in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she couldn't breathe, after her grandson called 911 seeking medical assistance, the woman and her grandson claim in Oklahoma City Federal Court. Though the grandson said, "Don't Taze my granny!" an El Reno police officer told another cop to "Taser her!" and wrote in his police report that he did so because the old woman "took a more aggressive posture in her bed," according to the complaint.
Unless bedridden grandma happened to have a concealed .45 hiding behind her oxygen tank I'm not sure how he could have construed her posture to be aggressive. Lonnie Tinsley, the grandson, told the police, "Don't taze my Granny!" but they responded by threatening him with the same treatment. Instead they cuffed him and sat him back of a police car while they took care of the real "threat."
The police then proceeded to approach Ms. Varner in her bed and stepped on her oxygen hose until she began to suffer oxygen deprivation. The police then fired a Taser at her and only one wire struck her, in the left arm; the police then fired a second Taser, striking her to the right and left of the midline of her upper chest and applied high voltage, causing burns to her chest, extreme pain and to pass out.
The police then grabbed Ms. Varner by her forearms and jerked hands together, causing her soft flesh to tear and bleed on her bed; they then handcuffed her.
Amazon.com has a copy of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation for sale that carries an interesting disclaimer, likely added by the publisher. If you click the link above and then use the "LOOK INSIDE" feature at amazon, you can see it for yourself. Here is a screenshot:
What the...?!? A product of its time? Does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today? Wow. I couldn't be a joke, so either they meant it in the way that today's society at large doesn't maintain the same value system as it did back then, or the Constitution as written does not apply in today's world. An observation on the current disposition of the document, perhaps? Still, I wonder who signed off on that?
You can get a free, still relevant copy of the Constitution at heritage.org.
What a neat shop. John Nese owns Galco's Soda Pop Stop in L.A. It started as a grocery store but after an arguement with Pepsi about what he "needed" on his shelves, he was reminded that he got to conrol what was on his shelves. Now he has over 500 different sodas to choose from, many you would never have heard of before. I'd like to try a few of those
According to the filings in Blake J Robbins v Lower Merion School District (PA) et al, the laptops issued to high-school students in the well-heeled Philly suburb have webcams that can be covertly activated by the schools' administrators, who have used this facility to spy on students and even their families. The issue came to light when the Robbins's child was disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" and the Vice Principal used a photo taken by the webcam as evidence. The suit is a class action, brought on behalf of all students issued with these machines.
If true, these allegations are about as creepy as they come. I don't know about you, but I often have the laptop in the room while I'm getting dressed, having private discussions with my family, and so on. The idea that a school district would not only spy on its students' clickstreams and emails (bad enough), but also use these machines as AV bugs is purely horrifying.
Schools are in an absolute panic about kids divulging too much online, worried about pedos and marketers and embarrassing photos that will haunt you when you run for office or apply for a job in 10 years. They tell kids to treat their personal details as though they were precious.
But when schools take that personal information, indiscriminately invading privacy (and, of course, punishing students who use proxies and other privacy tools to avoid official surveillance), they send a much more powerful message: your privacy is worthless and you shouldn't try to protect it.
An update on the F35 possibly coming to Idaho was givent to the attendees of the Twin Falls Area Chamber of Commerce by Air Force Col. Peter Lee. He told those at the luncheon on May 18th that a preferred list of bases could be announced in July or August. Both Idaho bases, Mountain Home Airforce Base and Gowen Field in Boise, are still in the running. More at MagicValley.com.
The state government has really started to promote this locally. It would be very good for Idaho jobs and economy. They say that it will bring 3000 new jobs to the area. From idahof35.com:
Military aviation has been in Idaho for more than 60 years, and together our two military installations provide more than $1 billion to the Idaho economy each year. Our Air Force and Air National Guard bases now are home to 73 fighter aircraft that soon will be phased out. Making sure that we replace our current planes with the new F-35 will guarantee that these bases continue to provide their high level of economic impact for the next 50 years.
Beyond these direct jobs, getting these missions will generate a critical mass of economic development in the private sector that comes from the need to support a large number of planes. For example, if Idaho was to become a maintenance depot, supporting businesses would need to be established outside the gates, creating even more jobs for Idahoans.
This kid is amazing. I wish I could translate what is in my head as easily, but I just don't have that ability. Some are born with the gift, and this kid is definately one who was.
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