Here We Go Again

By now everyone should be aware of what happened in Dallas last Thursday.

Dallas Shooting Suspect, Micah Johnson, ‘Upset at White People’

A military veteran who said his goal was to kill white police officers opened fire Thursday night in downtown Dallas, leaving five officers dead and seven wounded...

Shortly thereafter, similar incidents followed.

Tennessee shooter targeted white victims, similar to Dallas ambush

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released the name of the suspect behind Thursday morning's random shooting in Bristol, TN that claimed the life of an area newspaper carrier and injured three others, including a local police officer.

The TBI says 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott was armed with at least two weapons, an automatic-style rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition...

Preliminary findings indicate Scott may have targeted people and officers after being troubled by recent events involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country.

Missouri Cop 'Fighting For His Life' After Being Shot in Traffic Stop

A police officer is "fighting for his life" after he was shot during a traffic stop this morning in Ballwin, Missouri...

The incident, which was caught on police dashcam, happened around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when an officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding...

After speaking with the driver, the officer went to his car to do paperwork ... the driver exited his vehicle, approached the officer's car, fired three shots, returned to his vehicle and fled.

The suspect, Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm...

Gunfire strikes San Antonio Police headquarters

Multiple gunshots were fired at the San Antonio Police headquarters building Saturday night... There were no reports of injuries.

Bullet marks were found on the exterior wall of the building, and shell casings were discovered in a nearby alley...

This incident comes as police departments nationwide are on edge following the shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas.

I'm a data guy. My first professional career involved numbers, algorithms, and analytics. My second career relied heavily on data collection and analysis. So when I view the events of the past few days (the Dallas shootings and related aftermath), I get frustrated when so many use emotions in place of analysis and logic.

Here's some numbers to chew on.

Last year (2015) 990 people were shot and killed by police in this country. Approximately 50% were white, 26% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 9% were unarmed. 74% were shot while some sort of attack was in progress.

This year (2016) 512 people have been shot and killed by police to date. That's pretty much on track with last year's numbers. Approximately 47% were white, 24% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 7% were unarmed. Data was not provided regarding whether or not an attack was in progress.

Another piece of data was cited by Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke (who, BTW, is black).

"Forty percent of law enforcement officers in the country that are killed in the line of duty are killed by black men," Clarke said, pointing out that blacks only represent about fifteen percent of the population.

The data indicate that there is no epidemic of police shooting blacks. The numbers have remained steady.

What has changed is the use of social media to share and encourage emotional and illogical responses to these incidents. We also have grandstanding politicians and their enablers in the press who are busy spinning these tragedies to advance their narrative. For example, in a Facebook post last week obama had this to say.

"What's clear is that these fatal shootings are not isolated incidents. They are symptomatic of the broader challenges within our criminal justice system, the racial disparities that appear across the system year after year, and the resulting lack of trust that exists between law enforcement and too many of the communities they serve."

I guess barry can't be troubled to examine the facts.

He's not alone. Here's what some SJW had to say in the New York Times.

... this brand of tragedy has become routine… Law enforcement, militarized and indifferent to black lives, is the problem.

Of course, hillary had to chime in as well.

Speaking to a largely African-American audience at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, (hillary said)... it was important to acknowledge the "implicit bias" in society and some police departments.

(Side note: hillary desperately needs the black vote to help her get elected, so it's not surprising that she's pandering to them. But some conspiracy theorists think there might be another, more sinister explanation.)

I don't doubt that some of the shootings may not have been justified. But there are a myriad of factors in play here - training, mental and emotional composure of the officers involved, experience, actions of the suspects, and yes, possibly even some racial bias. But to tag all shootings as racially motivated, and to paint all cops as indifferent or even hostile to blacks, is not only false and misleading, it is grossly irresponsible. It leads to incidents like the Dallas shootings, and other similar events.

There have also been reports of individual black people and police officers coming together and helping bridge the gap between both sides. Here's one example.

Click to embiggen.

Color me foolishly naive and optimistic, but I hope that the events of the past few days will open eyes on both sides. Regardless of my fetish for data, I realize that perception is important. And right now, rightly or wrongly, blacks perceive that cops represent a threat to them, and are responding accordingly. We have to hope that the police have a better grip on their emotions and don't push back, leading to a vicious cycle of tragedy upon tragedy. We also have to hope that calmer heads will prevail on the other side, and that, over time, a calm and reasonable dialogue will emerge.

Like I said, color me foolishly naive and optimistic...

First Brexit, Then Texit

In the wake of the Brexit vote, resulting in the future withdrawal of Great Britain from the European Union, the issue of Texas exiting the United States - Texit - is once again making waves.

Huzzah for Great Britain, a sovereign nation that saved its own sovereignty by the skin of its own teeth; a nation that, with the ongoing flood of illegal immigrants, was just a year or two away from losing the #Brexit vote, and with it their country forever. Power to the people!

If they can do it, why can't we Texans?

Just a few years ago, the idea of seceding from my beloved United States of America sounded preposterous, unthinkable, ridiculous, the stuff of tinfoil hats...

But in just a few years, so much has changed, and I don't think that change is within me. In just a few years, right here in my beloved U.S. of A., through the federal government, some state governments, and most especially the mainstream media and Supreme Court, what was once unthinkable is not only thinkable and a real threat, but in some cases actual reality.

Real Freedom is sovereignty, self-determination… the right of man to choose his or her own leaders and by extension the laws they live under. The primary job of a righteous government is to protect our freedoms -- the freedom for me to swing my fist in any way I please and to protect your right not to get hit by that fist. During the Obama-era, there has been a sea change in this thinking, and to say that it has been aided and abetted by an increasingly corrupt news media would be the understatement of all time.

Stop and think. Can you name one area ... one topic ... one issue ... one damn thing where we have more freedom now than we did eight years ago?

I didn't think so.

If you believe that I can do as I damn well please until it gets in the way of you doing what you damn well please, then you are an American. If you do not believe in imposing your morals and values on me, then you are an American.

And there aren't many of us left.

Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, it is technically illegal for Texas to secede. Neither the Texas Constitution, nor the Ordinance of the Convention of Texas (aka the Terms of Annexation) provides for the secession of Texas. However, one might argue for a "Texit Laboratory."

For the good of humanity, why not try an experiment where an American state is allowed to decouple itself completely from the federal government. Maybe we'll discover that despite its many flaws, the Left is correct and we are in fact better off with a centralized federal government.

But maybe we'll discover that without all the federal red tape and oversight and mandates that a smaller sovereignty is more dynamic and prosperous and free; that poverty and crime and unemployment will decrease, that the air and water will be cleaner, that people will be happier and freer.

And anyone who doesn't like #Texit is free to leave and move to America.

Sounds pretty damn good to me!

Under The Radar

Most of yesterday's news was focused on the Brexit vote - Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

The stunning vote, 52 percent to 48 percent, plunged world financial markets into turmoil, the political consequences for the prime minister of Britain were swift, and the people around the globe reacted with shock and confusion.

FWIW, I heartily applaud the outcome. Anytime a populace can shed one layer of corrupt and inept politicians, along with the accompanying regulatory and bureaucratic overkill, indifference, and incompetence, well, that's a good thing.

It also shows that the 'silent majority' is alive and well, and is 'mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.' That may have implications for our own election come November.

But while Brexit hogged most of the headlines and airtime, several other noteworthy stories snuck under the radar. Just in case you missed them:

Senate gun compromise survives first test vote

The Senate voted Thursday to allow further consideration of bipartisan legislation banning gun sales to people on the terrorism "no-fly" list.

Senate Republicans could have killed the measure, but several sided with Democrats in allowing it to go forward.

No doubt the crybabies and spoiled brats who participated in the House sit-in protesting lack of action are pleased.

The premise - that someone who is considered too dangerous to board a commercial flight should be denied the right to buy a firearm - is hard to argue with. But, as always, the devil is in the details.

No Fly, No Buy? No Way

The problem with No Fly-No Buy is the foundation upon which the law would be based. The No Fly List is riddled with problems, from its secrecy (a violation of the Privacy Act), to its over-inclusiveness – the late Sen. Edward Kennedy was on the list at one point. The liberal lion even spoke out against the list, worried that the rights of non-senators could very easily be violated.

IMO Teddy should have been labeled a terrorist. After all, he killed Mary Jo Kopechne and then tried to cover up his culpability. But that doesn't negate the fact that the list is basically a form of 'guilty until proven innocent,' which is a gross perversion of our country's legal foundation.

In a delicious bit of irony, a muslim terrorist group spoke out against the proposed gun control legislation.

CAIR blasts Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act: ‘Mandela himself’ was on watch list

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has issued a statement blasting legislation proposed Tuesday that would keep suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms, saying it lacks due process and unfairly targets Muslims.

“We oppose the Terrorist Firearms Prevention Act of 2016 because it appears to limit the ban on firearms purchases to American Muslims..."

Funny, that's not how I read the bill. I guess CAIR, like most of us, is having a difficult time distinguishing terrorists and muslims.

But they do have a point regarding the secrecy and appeals process. And, as they point out, in addition to Teddy Kennedy, another famous person was on the list.

“Nelson Mandela, then former South African president, Nobel Prize winner and anti-Apartheid leader was on a U.S. terrorism watch list until 2008,” the group said. “Mandela himself needed special State Department clearance to visit the United States in 2008".

It seems like a simple process. Fix the list first, then worry about 'No Fly, No Buy.' But I guess that's too complicated for liberals. So here's a proposal they might understand.

Just to be clear, here's my position.

In other news, Clinton failed to hand over key email to State Department.

Former Secretary Hillary Clinton failed to turn over a copy of a key message involving problems caused by her use of a private homebrew email server, the State Department confirmed Thursday. The disclosure makes it unclear what other work-related emails may have been deleted by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Speaking of Hillary:

Clinton’s State Dept. calendar missing scores of entries

An Associated Press review of the official calendar Hillary Clinton kept as secretary of state identified at least 75 meetings with longtime political donors, Clinton Foundation contributors and corporate and other outside interests that were not recorded or omitted the names of those she met.

The fuller details of those meetings were included in files the State Department turned over to the AP after it sued the government in federal court.

Expect nothing but yawns from the left and the media on those stories. After all, Hillary can do no wrong in their eyes.

While hillary does the political version of rope-a-dope, her partner in crime continues to treat the U.S. Constitution as an afterthought.

Obama: I'm Still Not Enforcing Immigration Law, No Matter What The Court Says

President Barack Obama said Thursday that despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s tie vote, which essentially blocks his immigration plan, the millions of illegal immigrants that he sought to make legal with his executive action will remain a low priority for deportation by his administration.

“Enforcement priorities developed by my administration are not affected by this ruling.”

Translation: “I am above the law. I can do whatever I want, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.”

Asshole…

Meanwhile, in Baltimore:

Freddie Gray verdict: Baltimore officer who drove van not guilty on all charges

Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson, who drove the van in which Freddie Gray was fatally injured, was found not guilty Thursday on all charges, including the most serious count of second-degree depraved-heart murder.

… the state has failed to secure a single conviction following three high-profile trials.

Four other officers await trial, but legal experts are now questioning whether those cases will hold up.

"It does not bode well for prosecution," CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos said.

I'm sure the Black Lives Matter clowns are beside themselves over that, but frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Remember, folks, a magician distracts you with one hand while tricking you with the other. So keep asking yourself "What are they really up to?"

Wordless Wednesday - Friday Version 2013.06.17

So I'm a few days off. Who cares...?

Here's a few of my favorites that sum up the events of this week.

I'd forgotten that Carter did that, but once I saw the image it came back to me. Who ever thought we'd be longing for another Jimmy Carter to be the democrat presidential candidate, instead of the evil hag running today.

Words Of Wisdom

The list of things I wish for is long and varied - winning the lottery, world peace, an end to poverty and disease, and a better golf game, to name just a few.

But topping the list is that I wish that more people would read and heed the writings of Thomas Sowell. Here's his latest.

However great the shock of the massacre in Orlando, it is only a matter of time before we start hearing again the fact-free dogma that “diversity is our strength.”

If there is any place in the Guinness Book of World Records for words repeated the most often, over the most years, without one speck of evidence, “diversity” should be a prime candidate.

Is diversity our strength? Or anybody’s strength, anywhere in the world? Does Japan’s homogeneous population cause the Japanese to suffer? Have the Balkans been blessed by their heterogeneity — or does the very word “Balkanization” remind us of centuries of strife, bloodshed, and unspeakable atrocities, extending into our own times?

Has Europe become a safer place after importing vast numbers of people from the Middle East, with cultures hostile to the fundamental values of Western civilization?

I think most of us would agree the answer to that question is a resounding "No!"

However, smug elitists in both Europe and here at home are more concerned about perceived “Islamophobia" than they are about customs and values that have made their home countries prosperous and safe.

America’s great good fortune in the past has been that Americans have been able to unite as Americans against every enemy, despite our own internal differences and struggles. Black and white, Jew and Gentile, have fought and died for this country in every war.

It has not been our diversity, but our ability to overcome the problems inherent in diversity, and to act together as Americans, that has been our strength.

Today, that sense of American unity is being undermined by the reckless polarization of group-identity politics. That affects not only how Americans see themselves, but how others in our midst see America.

Some people demand American citizenship, as if it is an entitlement, while burning the American flag and waving the flag of Mexico. And the apostles of “diversity” and “multiculturalism” watch in silence. That includes the president of the United States.

Unfortunately, there is remarkably little interest in the relevant facts about crime rates, disease rates, welfare dependency, or educational deficiencies among immigrants from specific countries. Most debates about immigration policies are contests in rhetoric, with hard facts being ignored as if they didn’t exist.

Tragically, the massacre in Orlando seems unlikely to change that...

Here We Go Again

Initial thoughts on the Florida nightclub shooting:

It's getting to be an old story. Some lunatic freaks out and shoots a bunch of people. Jerks on the left gloss over the tragic loss of life and the pain of the victims' loved ones, and instead rush to score political points while the bodies are still warm, trotting out the same old storylines.

Within hours, the Orlando mass shooting at a LGBT nightclub set off renewed political debates -- with Democrats calling for gun control and Republicans blasting "radical Islamic terrorism."

I might listen to the left's arguments for more restrictive gun laws with more of an open mind if they had the tiniest clue about the subject. For example:

"We should not be selling automatic weapons which are designed to kill people," (presidential candidate Bernie) Sanders said.

"...remember that these domestic terrorists also buy automatic weapons..." (former South Dakota senator Larry) Pressler said in a statement.

As I understand it, the shooter used an AR-15, which is not an automatic weapon. Of course, accuracy and facts are not allowed to get in the way of the all-important narrative.

Undoubtedly, the left will use this to argue that law-abiding citizens should be disarmed, as if we're the problem.

In a sadly ironic twist of fate, the incident pitted two of the left's protected groups against each other. The shooter was a muslim, and the majority of the victims were gay. So of course we must blame the gun - an inantimate lump of metal and plastic - rather than the person.

As for the republicans "blasting radical Islamic terrorism," well, judge for yourself.

Car bombs in Iraq kill more than the Florida nightclub shooting, and we collectively yawn. No one is calling for more restrictive car control laws.

Oh, yeah - islamic terrorists also killed a poor soul in a particulary horrific manner, but we don't hear an outcry about that.

Local officials in Ghor province said one of (the victim's) distant relatives was suspected of killing a former Taliban commander... militants dragged Ahmad from his house and cut out his eyes in retaliation.

Ahmad was still alive and screaming when the attackers began carving the skin off his chest, leaving his heart exposed. Then they threw the 21-year old laborer off a 10-story cliff, officials said.

“They skinned him alive,” said Ruqiya Naeel, a member of parliament from the area.

Islam also prescribes death for homosexuals, but somehow that little tidbit is conveniently overlooked by liberals.

The inspiration for Muslims to brutalize and mass murder gay people does not come from ISIS. It is deeply rooted in Islamic law, affirmed by many of Islam’s most renowned scholars.

"Those involved in the act should be punished. In fact, sodomites should be killed in the worst manner possible."

Meanwhile, it turns out that the FBI investigated the shooter on at least two seperate occassions for links to radical islam, but cleared him both times. It couldn't be that they were fearful of offending a protected species, or even - God forbid - being accused of profiling.

One last thought: I've noticed my wife and kids texting back and forth when making plans, coordinating events, and dealing with problems, when a real-time conversation would be much more efficient in resolving those issues. What is particulary ironic is that they do so using their cell phones  - using that device as a texting platform rather than a phone.

Which brings me to this.

A woman who was outside the club early Sunday was trying to contact her 30-year-old son, Eddie, who texted her when the shooting happened and asked her to call police.

No disrespect to Eddie. I truly hope he escaped unscathed. But why on earth would you text your mother and ask her to call the police, instead of calling 911 yourself?

Again, no criticism implied. Just observing how the younger generation sees cell phones not as phones, but rather as a means to communicate impersonally.

My final point:

When It Rains, It Pours

I spent most of yesterday preparing for a hearing regarding a protest of our property tax appraisal. It went up 25% from 2015 to 2016. And I can guaran-damn-tee that (1) our home wasn't underappraised to begin with; and (2) its market value didn't jump by one-fourth over the past twelve months.

Anyway, while I was working on that I received the news that a good friend of our was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He goes in for surgery to remove it Friday, and from there immediately proceeds to chemo. He's a great guy, does everything right - exercises daily, eats well, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink to excess - all that good stuff. A classic example of bad things happening to good people.

At almost the same time I heard that another friend had a nervous breakdown of sorts, and yet another became embroiled in a legal situation not entirely of his making.

Bad news comes in threes, I guess.

Anyway, I have neither the time nor the inclination to spend much time on this blog right now, so I'll just throw up a few random images.

Hope your day is going better than mine...

And for my buddy with the tumor:

Wordless Wednesday - 2016.06.08

It's not yet official, but it sure looks inevitable. Either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be the next president of the United States.

God help us...

Finally, here's one that puts the who-uses-what-restroom controversy in perspective.

Idiots

I'm writing this while 'enjoying' a four hour layover at the Denver airport. As airports go it's not bad, but spending four hours in any airport is a giant PITA. Anyway... 

One of the nice things about being up in the mountains is the lack of contact with the real world. I should say lack of easy contact, because I could check in - it just was a lot of trouble to do so.

While I was there I heard a little bit about the kid who fell into the gorilla enclosure, and the subsequent shooting of the ape. A tragedy, we all agreed, with some questions about the parenting skills of the kid's mom and dad.

Then I got to the Denver airport, with high speed wi-fi, and started catching up on the news. All was well until I ran across this.

Protesters Say Gorilla Was Shot Because of “White Privilege”. 

I'm having trouble copying content from the link, but go there and read the whole thing. Un-frigging-believable.

Here's one short example.

Killing an endangered gorilla at a zoo for a white boy's safety is white privilege. If the boy was black they would've found a tranquilizer.

As it turns out, the child is black, which makes those racist idiots look even stupider. But somehow, I doubt if they have enough self-awareness to be appropriately ashamed and embarrassed.

It's enough to make a guy want to turn around and head back up into the mountains.

Weather, Texas Style

It's been a wet and wild spring here in the Lone Star State. Here's the latest weather headlines.

This one hit close to home. Our son returned to the Bryan area Thursday for summer school (Texas A&M) and his part-time job. Fortunately, he's okay.

Bryan hammered by tornado, flooding

The Bryan/College Station area was pounded by heavy rain, high winds and at least one tornado Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of homes were damaged in the Wheeler Ridge subdivision and at least three were destroyed, according to Bryan police.

Speaking of tornadoes:

Tornado Strikes Texas Prison

A tornado struck a state prison in Southeast Texas, damaging the roofs on a pair of watchtowers and an outbuilding but injuring no one.

A prison system spokesman says the tornado struck the Pack Unit in Navasota, about 65 miles northwest of Houston, about 4 p.m. Thursday. The spokesman says all staff members and 1,200 inmates have been accounted for.

We just had rain and hail in our part of the state.

More severe weather, hail possible for South Texas, S.A.

The National Weather Service has kept a flash flood watch in Bexar County and a few others ... severe thunderstorm watches have shifted north and northeast of San Antonio.

Flash Flooding Occurring Throughout Austin, Onion Creek Under Flood Warning

Multiple water rescues are under way throughout Austin as the area has again been hit hard with thunderstorms, this time dumping some six inches in two hours' time in some areas.

At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the National Weather Service reported about eight inches had already fallen there close to midnight.

Matters were worse in Southeast Austin, where 10 inches had been reported in a three-hour period. Both Highway 71 and Toll Road 130 were closed by late Thursday as a result of raging waters across the road surface.

The Houston area, about 200 miles from here, also got hammered.

Parts of southeast Texas under water

...strong thunderstorms and heavy rain are redeveloping over the same areas that were flooded on Thursday, and now they're starting to move south, through the Houston area.

In Conroe and throughout Montgomery County, trees are down and water is covering roadways.

Highway 290 was shut down for hours on this morning by cattle that apparently got loose during the floods. While 100 were found and are now on higher ground, around 600 are still missing.  

To make matters worse, the snakes are getting active this time of the year.

Click to embiggen.

Click to embiggen.

Click to embiggen.

If snakes freak you out DO NOT watch this video. And whatever you do, for God's sake don't try this at home!


There's not enough beer in the world to get me to do that...

News Of The Absurd 2016.05.20

There's been a spate of weird news stories lately. For the convenience of my loyal readers (both of you...) I've compiled some of the weirdest. Enjoy.

I think most of us would agree that politicians, as a class, are sleazy crooks. Here's the latest example.

Oops: Virginia congressional candidate leaves porn tabs open on Facebook post

A Virginia congressional candidate (posted) a screengrab on Facebook that happened to display his earlier X-rated browser searches in the upper-left corner of the screen. 

The post published to the Mike Webb for Congress Facebook page included a screen grab with pages “LAYLA RIVERA TIGHT BOOTY” and “IVONE SEXY AMATEUR.”

Speaking of weird and kinky sex, here's a teacher-student tryst story with a twist.

Substitute teacher, student caught in cemetery tryst

A 49-year-old Pennsylvania substitute teacher who had recently served as the head of her Lutheran church’s council was charged Tuesday with institutional sexual assault after she allegedly was caught in a cemetery having sex with a 17-year-old student earlier this month.

Aldinger was in charge of Christian education, worship, music, Sunday School and Vacation Bible School as the council president at St. Paul III Lutheran Church...

I guess that's what they mean by "fallen angel."

This next story sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.

A gay black muslim and two gay white guys walk into a bar on Cinco de Mayo...

A Bronx man bashed a gay couple over the head with a chair inside a Chelsea BBQ joint after one of the men smacked him in the face with his purse...

You can't make this stuff up.

Jonathan Snipes, 33, and boyfriend Ethan Adams, 25, were drinking margaritas at Dallas BBQ when Snipes learned in a message that his uncle was ill...

“He started displaying his emotions, speaking loudly and Ethan was grabbing his arm and begging him not to leave,” (ADA Leah Saxtein) said.

Snipes got up to go home and knocked over his margarita and allegedly overheard El-Amin mumble, “F—-ts over there spilling their drinks.”

A soused Snipes marched over to El-Amin’s table and blurted, “What did you call us? You don’t know us” then smacked him with a “soft, small purse,” Saxtein said.

A hulking 6-foot-5, 260-pound El-Amin hit and kicked Snipes then stood up and tossed him on the floor.

“The defendant lifted his large size foot and stomped on Mr. Snipes’ head,” the prosecutor said.

“Mr Snipes is tiny. Unfortunately, his mouth isn’t, and he continued to scream,” she said.

The district attorney just said a gay guy has a big mouth. Insert your own joke here.

El-Amin became angrier and angrier, and ... picked up a wooden chair and smashed it over their heads.

Defense lawyer Percy Diego Gayanilo said that El-Amin not only is gay but has been active in the LGBT community for more than 19 years.

He insisted that his client had not used a homophobic slur. He argued that El-Amin had simply acted in self defense after Snipes’ wild provocations.

The two so-called victims had been drinking for nearly 7 hours and “their judgement was impaired,” Gayanilo told jurors.

The accused is black, gay, and a muslim. That's three protected classes right there. The victims, although gay, are also white. That cancels out their gayness. My bet is that El-Amin beats the rap.

Finally, we close with my favorite of the bunch.

Woman’s obituary says she died rather than vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump

A Virginia woman is being spared having to vote for a candidate she didn’t like in the 2016 presidential election — because she’s dead.

“Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the age of 68,” her obituary, published in Tuesday’s Richmond Times Dispatch, reads.

Noland, you could say, was feeling the urn.

1911s In The News

I 'm a big fan of the 1911 model pistol. I also am a big fan of Springfield Armory products (I have no financial interest in the company - I just think they produce a quality line of firearms. I also happen to own a Springfield 1911, in .45 ACP, of course.) And I respect and admire Christ Kyle. So I read with interest this announcement.

Springfield Armory Released Limited Edition Chris Kyle 1911

Springfield Armory announced earlier this week that it will be honoring the memory of famed US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle with a limited run of 1911 TRP pistols collectively called the Legend Series. Kyle, who is perhaps better known for his expertise with rifles, carried a Springfield Armory TRP on occasion and counted the pistol among his preferred favorites, even reminiscing about it briefly in his best-selling book American Sniper.

Some of the favoritism may be due to the fact that the gun possibly saved his life.

“In 2004, I brought over a Springfield [Armory] TRP Operator, which used a .45 caliber round. It had a 1911 body style, with custom grips and a rail system that let me add a light and laser combo,” Kyle wrote. “Black, it had a bull barrel and was an excellent gun – until it took a frag for me in Fallujah. I was actually able to get it repaired – those Springfields are tough.”

Kyle, often recognized as deadliest sniper in US military history, was also an avid firearm enthusiast. While he was more often associated with the .300 Winchester Magnum M24 and later on, the Magnum Accuracy International, Kyle also was a fair shot on the pistol course and had previously earned an expert Pistol Marksmanship Medal, the highest decoration that one could receive for weapons qualification. Kyle especially preferred 1911-style pistols for shooting.

Each handgun in the Legend Series will be laser engraved with a unique serial number and comes with a customized mahogany case, certificate of authenticity, and silver Chris Kyle challenge coin. In addition, the firearm will also be issued with a memorial copy of American Sniper, signed by his wife Taya Kyle. Only 1,000 of the pistols will be produced.

The MSRP of the pistols is expected to be $2,499, and a portion of each sale will be donated to the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Taya Kyle to assist military families.

Now if I could just come up with $2500 I don't need...

In other 1911-related news:

A vintage pistol that was once owned by legendary performer Sammy Davis Jr. was among 791 guns that the Los Angeles Police Department collected during a weekend gun buyback program, officials said.

The Rat Pack member’s 1911 .45-caliber pistol was one of the weapons turned in for Ralphs grocery store gift cards during the events held in Mission Hills and South Los Angeles.

No details were available about who donated the gun or its origins because the program is anonymous...

Boy, I bet there's a great story behind how that particular 1911 ended up in the gun buyback program. I wonder if whoever turned it in knew what he had.

Devil's Advocate

obama stuck his nose in where it didn't need to be yesterday.

Obama administration issues guidance on transgender access to school bathrooms

The Obama administration issued guidance Friday directing public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.

A joint letter from the Departments of Education and Justice went to schools Friday with guidelines to ensure that "transgender students enjoy a supportive and nondiscriminatory school environment," the Obama administration said Thursday.

The announcement comes amid heated debate over transgender rights in schools and public life...
Of course, his daughters go to private schools, so he doesn't have to worry about the downstream effects of his pronouncement. But let's think about this for a minute. (here's where the Devil's Advocate thing comes into play.)

I have a daughter. I am firmly committed to protecting her from harm - physical, mental, and emotional. But I must confess that I don't see what all the fuss is about regarding the who-can-use-which-restroom controversy currently distracting us from much more important issues.

As I explained earlier, transgendered people have been using restrooms for years without problems.

If you stop and think about it, transgendered and cross-dressing people ... have been using public restrooms for years now without any serious incidents...

If some guy who thinks he's a gal goes into a ladies restroom, he's going to have to do his business in a stall - enclosed within walls and a closed door, his appendage safely out of sight...

Ditto for a gal who thinks she's a guy. She won't be able to use a urinal, so she'll have to use a stall, where no guy will be traumatized by catching a glimpse of her va-jay-jay.

In either case, other occupants of the restroom won't know and shouldn't care what kind of plumbing the person in the stall is using.

Putting it another way, we already have laws against public indecency, sexual assault, and what have you. That's the same argument we Second Amendment supporters use against gun control laws.

We already have laws against shooting people. Why do we need laws restricting where we can carry our firearms?

So why not let the existing, and IMO adequate, laws manage what is, again IMO, a non-issue? With all the other serious problems facing our nation, why are we letting ourselves be distracted by this nonsense?

I dunno...

It's eerily reminiscent of the controversy over making the $20 bill politically correct.

News Flash

Repubs nominate unstable hypocritical NY loon.

Dems can't decide between a communist and a felon. 

Time for bourbon, America.

A Solution In Search Of A Problem

Here in Texas, the position of Lieutenant Governor (the second-highest executive office in the state, ranking below only the governor) is arguably the most powerful position in state government. The Lt. Gov. controls both the legislative agenda and the budgeting process.

Our current Lt. Gov. is a former radio talk show host named Dan Patrick. Think of a cross between Rush Limbaugh and Ted Cruz, but further to the right, more evangelical, and more abrasive.

I don't mind his stance on issues like border security, taxes, education, and the like. But I don't agree with some of his other ideas. The most recent: his support for a statewide bathroom bill.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, weighing into a national controversy over transgender restrooms, said Tuesday he supports keeping men out of women’s restrooms, even if it takes legislation to do so.

Since the issue erupted into controversy nationally, some Texas lawmakers have said they will support a state law for single-sex restrooms, and the endorsement of that position by Senate-leader Patrick is likely to give that movement momentum.

Don't get me wrong. I have a daughter, and I damn sure don't want some pervert waving his you-know-what around while she's in the restroom. But I don't see how the recent emergence of similar legislation in places like North Carolina, Georgia, and other states is the best way to address this issue. That appears to be a solution in search of a problem.

If you stop and think about it, transgendered and cross-dressing people (I'm not sure what the difference is, but LBGT advocates assure me there is one) have been using public restrooms for years now without any serious incidents that I'm aware of.

If some guy who thinks he's a gal goes into a ladies restroom, he's going to have to do his business in a stall - enclosed within walls and a closed door, his appendage safely out of sight. (I'm not an expert on ladies restrooms, but I doubt they have urinals. Ladies, please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Ditto for a gal who thinks she's a guy. She won't be able to use a urinal, so she'll have to use a stall, where no guy will be traumatized by catching a glimpse of her va-jay-jay.

In either case, other occupants of the restroom won't know and shouldn't care what kind of plumbing the person in the stall is using.

One possible solution that should be acceptable to most folks is to pass or strengthen public indecency laws that prohibit the exhibition of a person's genitalia, regardless of whether it's an innie or an outie. That should allay the concern of those who fear an outbreak of males whipping it out in a ladies restroom, which seems to be what's driving all these new restroom laws.

IMO all these bathroom bills are a waste of time and resources. They are further dividing an already fragmented populace over a non-problem. To be clear, I don't care where you fall on the 100% male <-> 100% female spectrum. Just behave yourself and keep your whatchamacallit covered up, and everything will be peachy.

Oh, and make sure you wash your hands after you go...

Of course, you could say the same thing about republicans. They're wasting time and energy worrying about who pees where, when there are much greater problems that need solving.

Wordless Wednesday One Day Late

I would have posted this yesterday, but I was too busy trying to figure out which restroom to use...