RANT: Were murder charges appropriate?

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/05/01/baltimore-why-state-attorney-mosby-may-not-be-able-to-convict-police-on-murder/

HOMICIDE
Baltimore: Why Marilyn Mosby may not be able to convict police on murder charges in Freddie Gray’s death
By Alex Ferrer
Published May 01, 2015
FoxNews.com 

*** begin quote ***

Further complicating her case is the fact that every day people who are arrested often claim to be injured, in pain or having difficulty breathing. It is a common tactic used to get an officer to loosen the handcuffs or release their grip on the defendant so he can continue to fight. As a result, officers faced with such claims sometimes transport the defendant to the hospital wing of their local jail for checkup, but they don’t usually stop on the road and wait for Fire Rescue to arrive. Under those circumstances is a jury going to feel that officers who don’t take immediate action on those frequent claims of injury not only deserve to be sued but deserve to go to prison? Clearly, if they had known Freddie Gray would die, the officers would have transported him quickly and directly to an emergency room. But as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

In the end, a jury will decide what criminal charges, if any, are appropriate in this case. Based on the facts laid out today, however, the prosecutor failed to lay out a basis for murder and even manslaughter may be a difficult sale.

*** end quote ***

Apparently, this is another rush to judgment by “over charging” the police.

Then, there will be more riots when they are eventually acquitted.

The politicians and bureaucrats make political points pandering to the mob.

And the Nation suffers all the damages.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 


RANT: About releasing the 9/11 info

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Dear Mr. Reinke,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Res.428 – Urging the president to release information regarding the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks upon the United States. I appreciate the benefit of your views on this important issue.

As you know, on 12/02/2013, this legislation was introduced by Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-NC) and was referred to the House Committee on Intelligence Should the Senate consider this legislation or similar proposals in the future, I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind.

Again, thank you for contacting me. For further information or to sign up for my newsletter please visit my website at http://www.warner.senate.gov.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

# – # – # – # – # 

SO go away and stop bothering me?

# – # – # – # – #  2015-May-05 @ 21:14  


FUN: Cinco De Mayo

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Ok, lately I’ve gotten e‐mails from people claiming that the Titanic was carrying mayonnaise (some say 12,000 jars, others give no quantity). Once the Titanic reached New York, it’s next supposed destination was Mexico. The e‐mail always ends with a corny Sinko de Mayo joke.

The only evidence I’ve found that this is a joke and not some coincidence embellished with a poor inter‐lingual pun is that mayonnaise was supposedly just invented in 1912.

Any help here?

Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England.

In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.

The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

# – # – # – # – #   


GOVEROTRAGEOUS: USA interrogation techniques; unacceptable

Monday, May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015
Mr. Ferdinand Reinke
1641 International Dr Unit 414
McLean, VA 22102-4831

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me about the report on interrogation techniques by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. It was good to hear from you.

I believe that torture has no place in national security methods; it should not be used as it contradicts our values. In December 2012, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) voted 14-1 to approve a more than 6,000-page report that included detailed information on each detainee the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) interrogated, the methods used, and the accuracy of the intelligence. Since 2005, the SSCI has worked on this report, conducting its own investigation into these tactics. Following this investigation, on April 3rd, 2014 the SSCI voted in a bipartisan manner to declassify certain sections of the report. On December 9th, 2014 the SSCI released an unclassified executive summary and findings of the report to the public. The report found that enhanced interrogation methods were not effective or properly justified. In addition, the study cited discrepancies between management, oversight, and reporting to the administration of interrogations the CIA conducted.

While I am well aware of the unique national security challenges faced by our nation, I have always believed strongly that torture is not a proper method for ensuring our security and does not belong in the pursuit of our foreign policy or national security goals. I support the Committee’s thorough work to properly oversee and review intelligence collection methods, and support the report’s release. I believe that intelligence collection is critical to our national security and counterterrorism efforts, and I deeply respect the work of the professionals who remain vigilant and keep us safe. I hope that by fully exposing these past interrogation measures we can help guard against the future use of such a program, which is inconsistent with American values.

I am encouraged that the SSCI carefully reviewed the information presented to it and continues to evaluate a number of important issues. As a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, I recognize the important implications the declassification of this report has on our servicemembers and intelligence community, which are so closely tied to Virginia, as well as on efforts to maintain diplomatic relations to and manage future conflict.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me with your views on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Signature

Tim Kaine

# – # – #

I tried!

# – # – # – # – #  2015-May-04 @ 21:13  


POLITICAL: Is the Gooferment inflicting suffering on the people

Monday, May 4, 2015

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/04/tyler-durden/needless-suffering-inflicted-on-ordinary-americans/

The Baltimore Riots: The Stunning Comments By Orioles Owner’s Son
By Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
April 29, 2015

*** begin quote ***

The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ball game irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.”

*** end quote ***

Wow. that’s a pretty damning indictment of the current Gooferment and the policies of the last 30 years.

When you think of the “Rust Belt” and the demise of the American auto industry, that’s the exemplar of what this is saying.

It can’t be “corrected”. Anymore than you can hold back the tides.

But the Gooferment, with its Crony Capitalism, feathering the nest of politicians and bureaucrats, and all the other abuses, has finally killed the “goose that lays the golden eggs”.

Do we have to be like the alcoholic, who wakes up face down in a pool of his own fluids, to realize that help is needed?

Apparently so.

Seems like there are some very ugly chickens that have to be dealt with and they problems all start (and possibly end) with Gooferment.

Best we can do is starve the beast into submission. No new taxes, no new fee, no nothing. 

Period. End of story.

# – # – # – # – # 


SURVIVAL: What do you have when your house collapses or worse

Sunday, May 3, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3055045/Homes-offices-collapse-massive-earthquake-rocks-Nepal-destroying-historic-19th-century-tower.html

The tiny gap between life and death: Entombed alive with the body of his friend, Nepal earthquake victim is finally pulled free as death toll rises to 2,500

  • The earthquake survivor was pulled from rubble of his home in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday 
  • He had been stuck with the lifeless body of his friend after the building they were in collapsed around them 
  • In the Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu the bodies of hundreds killed have been laid out in the street 
  • Rescue teams are frantically using their hands to dig out survivors as aid relief from neighbouring India arrives
  • As many as 18 climbers on Mount Everest were killed when base camp was swallowed by avalanche on Saturday 
  • More bodies are being pulled from destruction in cities ‘by the hour’ as the death toll continues to rise 

By SARA MALM and JENNIFER SMITH and STEPHANIE LINNING and HANNAH PARRY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 03:55 EST, 25 April 2015 | UPDATED: 14:32 EST, 26 April 2015

*** begin quote ***

Thousands of people spent the night outside in chilly temperatures and patchy rain, too afraid to return to their damaged homes or sleep indoors for fear of another tremor. Aftershocks from the deadly earthquake have ravaged through the country today. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear… you can hear the women and children crying ‘The aftershocks keep coming … so people don’t know what to expect,’  said Sanjay Karki, Nepal country head for global aid agency Mercy Corps. ‘All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying.’

*** end quote *** 

We see “natural disasters”, but it’s like no one prepares.

In the USA, we have tornados, floods, power outages, and blizzards. There are gas explosions, fires, and wind damage. 

Many different ways a house can become a total loss.

But no one is prepared it seems for anything.

My paternal grandmother in Oregon had a storm “cellar” nearby her house. Up on a rise, dug into the hill, with her “put up food”, blankets, and stuff. In bad weather, she sleep in it. 

Most people have nothing, zero, nada. Not even a plan.

We’re very luck that this doesn’t happen often. But it does happen often enough.

I have serval 72 hour bags around. Maybe even I need more.

Hmmm?

# – # – # – # – # 


CLOUD: My desire to leave the Apple / Microsoft “jail” is hindered by these functions or programs

Saturday, May 2, 2015

TO produce my Jasper Jottings:

  • BlueGriffon — to compose HTML
  • MARSEDIT — to capture my daily Jasper Jottings blog
  • FileZilla — to post it
  • Mail chimp — web-based service
  • Yahoo Group — web-based service 

TO produce my blog:

  • MARSEDIT —blog posts
  • TEXEXPANDER — for quotes and shorthand

Other functions

  • iMessage — for texting
  • Opera Mail — for yet another Mail program and rss feeds
  • PROXPN — for privacy on public wifi
  • LIBRE OFFICE — microsoft compatibility
  • CLIP MENU — for cut and paste memory 
  • DOXIE — for scanning
  • FACETIME — for video calls
  • FITBIT CONNECT — for tracking
  • FORMAT MATCH — cut and paste format free text
  • LASTPASS — password generation
  • SCRIVENER — for writing; constrained by disk space
  • PHOTO — space constrained

Any suggestions?

# – # – # – # – # 


MONEY: Investing short term earnings and long term as well?

Friday, May 1, 2015

https://www.quora.com/I-am-a-single-mother-who-is-looking-to-invest-my-money-What-suggestions-do-you-have-for-something-that-will-be-good-for-short-term-earnings-and-long-term-as-well?__snids__=1105045430&__nsrc__=2

I am a single mother who is looking to invest my money. What suggestions do you have for something that will be good for short term earnings and long term as well?

# – # – # – # – # 

I’m a big fan of Ric Edelman, the Financial Advisor, who does a weekly radio show for decades. He says that his objective to help people become rich.

(Disclaimer: I’m a Client for several years and get nothing for giving this recommendation.)

He offers — and several of my coworkers have taken them up on it — to spend some time with ANYONE regardless of possible account size and help identify your goals and suggestions how to reach them.

One specific coworker had a job, a mortgaged house, and nothing else. One of their Financial Advisors has spent four hours with her over the last three months coaching her financially. So I’d recommend that you talk to one of these guys rather than trying to go it alone.

There is NO obligation to do business with them.

They are registered financial advisers which means they work in your best interest (i.e., the fiduciary standard).

They have an account minimum of 5k$ if you want to have them handle your investments. So, I’d say 1-800-call-ric or ricedelman dot com.

I worked on Wall Street for a couple of decades, managed my own portfolio, and I wish I had found them much sooner. Just my opinion.

Remember the sources of my education! I’m just a fat old white guy injineer with:

  • Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy;
  • Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil;
  • Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”;
  • Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off;
  • Finance “degree”from listening to Ric Edelman;
  • Sensitively managing Human Resources from watching Chef Ramsey; AND
  • Creating loving /  caring human relationships from studying the movie roles
    of Gunny Ronald Lee Ermey! 

# – # – # – # – # 


SURVIVAL: Being fragile “animal” in a dangerous world

Thursday, April 30, 2015

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/25/2-missing-sisters-visiting-family-in-michigan-found-after-nearly-2-weeks/?intcmp=latestnews

MIDWEST
2 missing sisters visiting family in Michigan found after nearly 2 weeks
Published April 25, 2015
FoxNews.com

*** begin quote ***

The women – Leslie Roy, 52, and Lee Marie Wright, 56 – survived on Girl Scout cookies while stuck in their snow-crippled SUV. A pilot noticed a reflection off the Ford Explorer and landed the police helicopter on shore, ending the women’s unexpected wilderness adventure.

*** end quote ***

Tough world out there. Especially when you’re unprepared.

It’s not like you don’t have room in an SUV for a “Bug Out”, “Get Home”, or “Holy Hell What’s Happening” bag.

Fire making materials, survival blankets, food and water seem obvious.

And people think an SUV is a ATV.

At least they were smart enough to stay with the SUV!

Dumb that they didn’t start burning the spare after a week?

Recently when I was driving from Manchester NH to Keene NH, I found large stretches with no cell phone service. So you can’t depend upon that.

Most important is a survival mindset. 

If you’re depending upon a road being plowed, then you better do some research.

When in Vegas and we’d go for a ride, there were always two gallons of water in the rental car. And we were NOT going of the beaten track. But it’s dry and hot there.

And, finally, you always have to leave a route with your “canary”. That is someone who knows where you are, where you’re going, and when you’ll check back in. I acted as a “canary” for someone traveling alone in Japan. (We even had a code word!)

These women were very lucky.

The human being is a fragile “animal” in a dangerous world.

# – # – # – # – # 

 

 


TINFOILHAT: OKC Bombing story starts to crack open;

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

http://whowhatwhy.org/2015/04/22/exclusive-oklahoma-city-bombing-breakthrough-part-1-of-2/

Exclusive: Oklahoma City Bombing Breakthrough, Part 1 of 2
April 22, 2015 by Roger Charles

*** begin quote ***

So, were McVeigh, Nichols and Fortier disgruntled domestic terrorists operating on their own? Apparently not, according to one long-time FBI Confidential Informant (CI).

Shortly after the April 19, 1995, bombing, John Matthews, a CI targeting right wing and neo-Nazi groups (but expressly forbidden to target OKBOMB-related information), reported to his FBI handler information relevant to McVeigh. Matthews recounted how, a few years before the Oklahoma City attack, he had attended a weekend training session in Austin, Texas, for a suspect paramilitary group. While at this meeting, Matthews met two ex-soldiers, introduced as “Tim” and “Andy.”

In the post-bombing media deluge, Matthews realized that “Tim” was Timothy McVeigh, When Matthews related his information about “Tim” and “Andy the German” to Don Jarrett of Phoenix, his FBI handler, Jarrett responded, “We know, John. Don’t worry about it. We got it covered.”

*** end quote ***

So McVeigh was executed.

The trial judge didn’t order DOJ to explain the FBI and ATF involvement.

It’s probably that this was either bungled or prompted.

Argh!

Just once, I’d like to get the straight truth about anything.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men played by Jack Nicholson

“We, The Sheeple” are ENTITLED to the truth.

# – # – # – # – #