The Science Is Settled!

As a child born in the 60s and raised in the 70/80s, I can relate to this cartoon.  I remember the Coming Ice Age cause by man made pollution.

"roads, bridges and schools...."

I've had discussions with my liberal friends of the wisdom of giving politicians money and a point I've made is you give a politician a buck and they will spend three, then ask for more. In a recent discussion with a friend over the Colorado marijuana legislation, they were adamant that the money was for "road, bridges and schools..." Who hasn't heard that before. I recall in the 1990s when Edwin Edwards, the occasional governor of Louisiana wanted casino gambling and the lottery to fund "roads, bridges and schools..." Well Louisiana has both and the roads, bridges and schools suck, although money from gambling did flow in. And I have no doubt the money that Colorado realizes from marijuana sales will simply be pissed away and not be used for "roads, bridges and schools...." and in a few years another politician will come up with another way to raise revenue for "roads, bridges and schools..." And the usual sheeple will not ask the simple question, "Where did that other money go you swore was for 'roads, bridges and schools'..."

I say this because I was checking out the paper this morning and it brings back an oldie but a goodie, the tobacco settlements of the late 1990s. Now one of the greatest lies perpetuated by the left (and some on the right) is that they want the American people to stop smoking cigarettes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Too much money involved for them to tax and piss away, excuse me, "contribute" and "invest". So what happened to that quarter of a trillion dollars big tobacco gave for "anti-smoking" activities....

I wonder if the British have waiting periods for knives....

I get into discussions with the anti-gun crowd and they are shocked when I tell them a gun has never killed anyone. Men with guns have used them to kill millions over the years, but a gun is an inanimate object. Unless someone else uses it for evil intent, no one will be harmed because I possess my firearms. And as the old bumper sticker said, "Ted Kennedy's car had killed more people than my guns."

Great Britain went nuts after a school shooting in 1996 and basically banned private ownership of firearms. And now they seem to want to go after something else.

I've possessed some version of the Swiss Army knife since I was 10 years old and carried it on me though middle school, high school and college. And no one has been harmed yet. But I'm glad this is stopping murder....or is it?

Liberals will never learn. It's the evil in men's hearts that causes death, not the means.

God help the former Great Britain.

As they said in Cool Hand Luke, "What we have here is a failure to communicate!" :<)

Help in speaking to a liberal.

K9 Down

K9 Robbie
Wyoming Highway Patrol
End of Watch: Monday, October 20, 2014
Gender: M
Tour: 3 months
Cause: Struck by vehicle

K9 Robbie was struck and killed by a tractor trailer while performing a vehicle search near mile marker 266 of I-80, in the area of the Elk Mountain.

Robbie had searched the inside of the vehicle and was beginning to search the exterior when he ran into the roadway. He was struck by a tractor trailer that had moved into the left travel lane.

K9 Robbie had served with the Wyoming Highway Patrol for only three months.

Rest in Peace Robbie…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

K9 Down

K9 Sara
Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Age: 2
Gender: F
Cause: Struck by vehicle

K9 Sara was struck and killed as she and her handler conducted a criminal interdiction search of a commercial vehicle on the shoulder of I-80, in western Iowa.

Sara had served with the Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement for 11 months and had been responsible for multiple narcotics and cash seizures.

Rest in Peace Sara…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Constable Robert Parker White
El Paso County Texas Constable's Office - Precinct 1
End of Watch: Saturday, November 1, 2014
Tour: 18 years
Incident Date: 11/1/2014

Constable Robert White was killed during an altercation with a subject while working an overtime assignment on the 400 block of Anthony Avenue in Canutillo.

At approximately 12:30 am Constable White was assaulted by a subject. During the ensuing struggle Constable White was knocked to the ground and failed to get back up. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Members of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office responded to assist Constable White and arrested the subject, who was subsequently charged with capital murder.

Constable White had served as the elected constable of El Paso County Precinct 1 for 18 years.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Baron
St. Johns County Florida Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 2
Gender: M

K9 Baron drowned while apprehending a suspect wanted for felony narcotics distribution.

The subject had fled on foot after deputies responded to a disturbance at a home on Twin Aspen Circle. K9 Baron and his handler were tracking the man when they came upon a fence. His handler lifted him over the fence, and as the handler went over the fence she heard K9 Baron engage the suspect. She located Baron a short time later in a body of water. It is believed that the man intentionally drowned Baron during the Baron's apprehension.

The subject continued to flee but turned himself in the following day.

K9 Baron had served with the St. John's County Sheriff's Office for 1-1/2 years and conducted tracking and apprehension missions.

Rest in Peace Baron…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer David Payne
Chandler Arizona Police Department
End of Watch: Friday, October 31, 2014
Age: 37
Tour: 7 years

Police Officer David Payne was killed when his police motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver at the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Pennington Drive.

He was stopped at a red light at 12:40 am when the drunk driver rear-ended his motorcycle and then fled the scene. The driver was arrested a short time later and charged with manslaughter, hit-and-run, and child endangerment.

The collision occurred at the same intersection at which Officer Robert Nielsen was killed in the line of duty on June 12th, 2002.

Officer Payne had served with the Chandler Police Department for seven years. He is survived by his child.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Jesse Valdez, III
Harris County Texas Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Age: 32
Tour: 11 years

Deputy Sheriff Jesse Valdez was killed when his patrol car was struck head-on by a SUV at the intersection of East Wallinsville Road and Honeysuckle Street.

He was en route to conduct a welfare check when the SUV crossed the center line and struck his patrol car head-on. The patrol car was pushed into a ditch and Deputy Valdez was trapped inside. Rescue crews extricated him from the wreckage and transported him to Memorial Hermann Trauma Center where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 1:00 am.

It is believed the driver of the vehicle was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash. She was charged with possession of methamphetamine. She had been paroled from prison only three weeks earlier while serving a two year sentence for a previous conviction of the same charge.

Deputy Valdez had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for 11 years. He is survived by his 10-year-old son and mother.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

K9 Down

K9 Beny
Montville Ohio Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 2
Gender: M
Incident Date: 9/28/2014

K9 Beny died of heat exhaustion while in his handler's vehicle at the police station.

His handler went inside to complete paperwork and return to the vehicle four hours later, where he found Beny unresponsive in his kennel inside the police car.

The temperature at the time had reached only 79 degrees.

K9 Beny had served with the Montville Police Department for 13 months.

Rest in Peace Beny…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Police Officer Shaun Richard Diamond
Pomona California Police Department
End of Watch: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Age: 45
Tour: 16 years
Incident Date: 10/28/2014

Police Officer Shaun Diamond succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day as he and members of the Pomona SWAT team attempted to serve a search warrant.

Officer Diamond was the breach officer as the team attempted to make entry into the home in the 100 block of San Marino Avenue in San Gabriel. As they breached the storm door the subject inside opened the main door and fired a single shot from a shotgun, striking Officer Diamond in the back of the neck. The shot also wounded the subject's father in the arm.

Other officers immediately pulled Officer Diamond to a safe location and he was transported to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, where he died early the following morning.

The subject was taken into custody at the scene.

Officer Diamond had served with the Pomona Police Department for eight years and had previously served with the Los Angeles Police Department and Montebello Police Department. He is survived by his two children.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff John Timothy Williamson
Butler County Alabama Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Saturday, October 25, 2014
Age: 48
Tour: 20 years
Incident Date: 10/20/2014

Deputy Sheriff Tim Williamson suffered a heart attack following a struggle with a subject he was attempting to arrest.

Believing he had strained a muscle during the struggle, he did not seek medical treatment. The pain in his chest continued and on October 23rd, 2014, it became severe after he responded to several calls for service. He drove himself to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with having a heart attack. He suffered a massive heart attack while being transported to a second hospital, where he died two days later.

Deputy Williamson was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Butler County Sheriff's Office for 20 years. He is survived by his father, sister, and two brothers.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

You know the dogs were thinking "This kids amuses so easily...she must be on the short bus!" :<)

This is cute.

K9 Down

K9 Brunie
Kansas City Missouri Police Department
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2014
Breed: Belgian Malinois
Age: 4
Gender: M
Incident Date: 9/20/2014

K9 Brunie died eight days after becoming ill while tracking a felony suspect in a wooded area in the interchange of 163rd Street and Highway 71, in Belton.

It is believed that during the track Brunie ingested a poisonous substance which caused him to immediately become ill. His conditioned worsened over the coming days to the point that he was euthanized.

K9 Brunie had served with the Kansas City Police Department for two years. Brunie had been previously recognized as the 2013 Canine Officer of the Year from the National Police Canine Association.

Rest in Peace Brunie…till our next roll call at the Rainbow Bridge!

In Memory of all Police Dogs

They handled themselves with beauty & grace

And who could ever forget that beautiful face

Whether at work; or at home; whatever the test

They always worked hard; and did their best

They were real champions; at work or at play

But their lives were cut short; suddenly one day

While working on the job with their partner one day

They put themselves out on a limb; out into harms way

They gave the ultimate sacrifice; any dog can give

They gave up their life; so someone could live

The best of their breed; as his partner and anyone would say

Many hearts are now broken; that he had to prove it this way

Now as the trees are blowing in the gentle breeze

The sun is shining; thru the leaves on the trees

The meadows are green; and the grass grows tall

Off in the distance they can see a waterfall

As they look over the falls; down through the creek

The water flows gently; as a rabbit sneaks a peek

Far up above; in the deep blue sky

They see the birds soar high; as they fly by

They see animals playing; at the bridge by a waterfall

Chasing each other; and just having a ball

They play all day; from morning to night

There's no more rain; just warm sunlight

Off in the distance; they hear trumpets blow

Then all the animals look up; and notice a bright glow

The harps would play and the angels would sing

As they know they've come home; they've earned their wings

We remember that they died; in the line of duty

And are now with the Lord; sharing in heaven's beauty

Off to the meadows now; where they can play and roam free

With an occasional rest stop; under a tall oak tree

No more bad guys to chase; or bullets to take

Just a run through the meadow; down to the lake

A quick splash in the water; then back to the shore

Then it's off to the forest; to go play some more

These special dogs are back home; up in heaven above

They're cradled in God's arm's; and covered with His love

We'll light a candle for all of them; in the dark of night

In loving memory of all; these very special knights

By John Quealy

Officer Down

Investigator Michael David Davis, Jr.
Placer County California Sheriff's Department
End of Watch: Friday, October 24, 2014
Age: 42
Tour: 15 years
Badge # 54

Investigator Michael Davis was shot and killed while taking part in a massive manhunt for the murderer of Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.

The subject who murdered Deputy Oliver, assisted by a female accomplice, carjacked a vehicle and fled up I-80 after killing Deputy Oliver. They exited the highway in Auburn, before stopping on the side of the road off of Maidu Drive. Investigator Davis and his partner spotted the vehicle and began to approach it when the male subject opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, striking both officers.

Both officers were transported to a local hospital where Investigator Davis succumbed to his wounds.

The female subject was arrested at the scene while the male subject fled into a residential area. He was taken into custody several hours later.

Investigator Davis had served with the Placer County Sheriff's Department for 15 years.

Investigator Davis' father, Investigator Michael Davis Sr., was killed in the line of duty on October 24th, 1988, while serving with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Their line of duty deaths occurred exactly 26 years apart to the day.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

The Civil War in a few minutes....

If you haven't watched it, Ken Burn's video masterpiece, The Civil War, is an incredible piece of work. One of the point's I recall him making is at the beginning of 1864, after one defeat after another (Gettysburg, Vicksburg), the coast blockaded, the Mississippi River controlled by the North, it was still the South that was in the fight. Many in the North were ready to let the South go, the war wasn't worth the men and treasure. To give you an idea of how much this did cost, in the spring of 1861 the Congress, expecting a quick end to this little rebellion, appropriated ten million dollars for war expenses. It ended up costing ten billion, in 1860s dollars. Without question this would be in the trillions today.

But this short video (just over five minutes) shows who controlled the land and until late 1864/65, how little bit of it changed. No question the blockade of southern ports and cutting the Confederacy along the Mississippi was decimating, it also shows the ability of the Gray to hold on. And, quick frankly, the incompetence of the Union Army's leadership until 1864. One question is often asked among Civil War buffs, how long it would have lasted if Lee accepted command of the Army of the Potomac in 1861.

Have fun today and go Texans! (Saints kicked ass Thursday night!)

Officer Down

Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver
Sacramento County California Sheriff's Department
End of Watch: Friday, October 24, 2014
Age: 47
Tour: 15 years

Deputy Sheriff Danny Oliver was shot and killed as he and another deputy investigated a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of a motel in the 2000 block of Arden Way.

A male occupant of the vehicle opened fire on the deputies with an AR-15 rifle, striking Deputy Oliver in the forehead. The man and a female occupant then fled in the vehicle as his partner returned fire. A short distance away the male shot a civilian when they attempted to carjack a vehicle. They then carjacked two other vehicles as they continued fleeing the area.

After carjacking the second vehicle the pair fled up I-80 to Auburn, where they exited the highway and stopped on the side of the road. They were spotted by Investigator Michael Davis, of the Placer County Sheriff's Department, and his partner. As the two officer approached the vehicle the man opened fire with the AR-15 rifle, striking both deputies. Investigator Davis succumbed to his wounds at a local hospital.

The female was arrested at the scene while the male subject was arrested several hours later after barricading himself inside a nearby home.

Deputy Oliver had served with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

I thought it was all about safety....

And if you believe that one....

I'm not naive enough to believe the push to install red light cameras had anything to do with other than making money. A rule that is as chilled in stone as The Ten Commandments, if a politician says "Well, it's not about the money...", it is first, foremost and always about, the money.

On the subject of money, a few years ago I was readying about a city with a bit of an issue. It was either Dallas or a suburb of Dallas that had installed red light cameras "to decrease the running of red lights" and increase safety. Well, guess what, it worked. People stopped running those red lights and fewer tickets were issues....wait, fewer tickets. That's less money!

The city said the problem was the program was costing more than it took in with ticket revenue. But I thought the point was safety, not to mention the fact you won't be using emergency crews for the accidents. Gee, who would have thunk it!

Now from the other 3rd World nation in our nation's capital, the District of Columbia. Seems like they have a "revenue problem".

Declining traffic-camera revenue threatens to unbalance D.C.’s budget

Revenue from tickets issued by the District’s network of traffic cameras has declined dramatically over the past year, potentially throwing the city budget out of balance, the chief financial officer warned Monday.

With less than two days left in the city’s fiscal year, CFO Jeffrey S. DeWitt said in a letter to District officials that revenue from fines and forfeitures may end up more than $70 million under projections if the trends hold — a significant chunk of a $6.3 billion local budget. The bulk of the shortfall comes from fines issued through red-light and speeding cameras, which have been the subject of rancorous public debate as their use has proliferated in recent years.

The city expected to collect $93.7 million through automated traffic enforcement in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, but as of the end of August, the cameras had generated only $26.1 million, according to preliminary cash reports issued by DeWitt’s office. That is a drop-off of 62 percent from the nearly $70 million the city had collected by that point in 2013.

DeWitt didn’t pinpoint a reason for the lagging revenue, noting only that fine revenue had been “projected to increase because of the rollout of new automated enforcement equipment.”

Doxie McCoy, a spokeswoman for Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), said in an e-mail that fewer tickets have been issued this year for a variety of reasons, including delays in deploying some new devices, higher speed limits on some streets and more motorists obeying the law.

“And we don’t view any of this as a bad thing,” McCoy said. “As we’ve said all along: the purpose of automated traffic enforcement is to improve public safety and save lives, not to raise money.”

But the implications for the District’s budget are considerable: The city had projected it would collect $156 million in camera revenue in the coming fiscal year. Should final tallies expected in December confirm a precipitous decline this year, officials may have to cut $50 million to $70 million in spending from next year’s budget.

The news prompted D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) to take his fellow city leaders to task for being too dependent on ticket revenue in balancing the District’s budget.

In a statement, Mendelson said the revenue projections “add to the black eye” around the camera program delivered by a recent D.C. inspector general’s report that suggested it was more about filling city coffers than maintaining public safety. He noted that the council tried to lower camera fines in 2012 but “couldn’t reduce the fines as much as we wanted because of the revenues that would be lost.”

“The District’s budget should not be dependent on the fines of speeders,” he said.

Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, an outspoken defender of camera enforcement, said in a statement that she saw in the new figures proof that the cameras are working: “As I have said many times, we usually see significant reductions in citations issued in the first few months of deployment. This demonstrates that drivers are changing their behavior.”

“Our goal is traffic safety,” she continued. “The fact that infractions are going down is a good thing in my view. Automated traffic enforcement is and always has been about safety. We deploy technology as needed.”...

No surprise that politicians are counting their chickens before they hatch with the red light revenue. But two things struck the hell out of me. Washington DC has a population of 646,000, is physically 68.3 square miles, fields a police force of 3800 and with a budget of 6.3 freaking billion dollars they are running a deficit because of "red light camera revenue"! Compare that with my town of Houston, which has a population of almost 2.2 million spread over 627 miles, fielding a police force of around 5300, and this city does it on a budget of 4.5 billion. And D.C.'s problem is not enough money?! What a crock of S$%^.

Well, I may have another thing to check out. I checked the D. C. city government website and it shows for a relatively small city, the city council ain't small. Eight council members from the wards and five at large positions, plus a Chair Pro Tempore. Again, compare that to the Houston City Council, which, for a city four times as large in population and ten times as large in land, has a city council of five at large members and eleven district representatives.

Maybe the District of Columbia should look at trimming the fat before they look at choking the golden goose anymore. Naa. Like their big brother on Capital Hill, the only "cut" is a reduction in the rate of growth. The last time I visited D.C. was in 1992, playing tourist at the Smithsonian Museum. And it is disgusting that in our nation's capital we cannot walk safety. And the mismanagement shown by this article shows why.

Great news from 2017.....

One of my reading pleasures is National Review, the great bi-weekly started by William F Buckley. And with all my subscriptions I have a writer I generally go to first, and at NR that man is Rob Long. I'll let his words speak for themselves.

From the New York Times, November 12, 2017

Economy Sputters, Lurches and A President Is Left Feeling Heat

Economic growth continued at an anemic pace in the past quarter, fueling speculation that President Ted Cruz, the embattled Republican, would be forced to shake up his economic-policy staff.

President Cruz, facing an increasingly dyspeptic electorate, has tried to cast the economic performance under his leadership — with unemployment stubbornly hovering at 5.3 percent and GDP growth at an anemic 3.2 percent — as a “work in progress.” But recent polls indicate that the electorate, at least in crucial must-win 2020 states such as Connecticut and Massachusetts, isn’t buying the spin.

“As I said at the time, what I was trying to do was create a context for sustainable economic growth,” former president Barack Obama recently told a group of journalists from his office at Harvard Law School. “What President Cruz has managed to do is undermine everything I — and my administration — accomplished.”

To be sure, as a matter of pure statistics, the economy under President Cruz is growing at a faster rate, with numerically lower unemployment, than it did under his predecessor, the first African-American president of the United States.

“What’s important to investigate,” the former president told a group of journalists and biographers, “is not the number of unemployed persons per se, or the rate of growth as currently calculated, but instead the underlying assumptions contained within those numbers, some of which are, quite frankly, racial. To be clear, I’m not saying . . .”

Dining and Wine

A New Restaurant Opens, A New Chapter Begins

Former first lady Michelle Obama’s first foray into the dining scene opened last night to crowds and flashbulbs and, yes, lots of kale.

“Le Jardin Sans Richesse,” the collaboration between restaurateur-author Alice Waters and former first lady Michelle Obama, opened to great fanfare in a cozy West Village townhouse, replete with of-the-moment Edison bulbs (to be specific: eco-friendly fluorescent bulbs in the Edison style) and a farm-to-table menu heavy on the vegetables and greens, light on everything else.

“Michelle Obama’s gonna keep me regular,” television personality Whoopi Goldberg cried to the cheering crowd as she made her way into the restaurant and tucked into what the restaurant calls “The Green Colonic,” a salad of bitter winter greens, surgical-grade micro-gravel, and birch bark ($65 for an appetizer portion, $235 as an entrée).

“This has always been my dream,” the former first lady said with a beaming smile. “I wish all Americans would eat this way.”

The restored dining room was festooned with flowers and cards from well-wishers — political friends and foes alike. “Best wishes on your opening!” read a large ecru card attached to a rather ho-hum, very Flowers.com arrangement. In swooping handwriting below the typed message, “Love, Mary Pat Christie.” So it seems that good vibes flowed from Vice President Christie’s wife, Mary Pat, to the former first lady.

“I wish she would eat here,” the former first lady sniffed. “She’s gotten so big since the inauguration. I didn’t think that was even possible.”

By then it was time for dessert — a simple “salad” of brunoised apple cores and grated orange peel ($194) — and the good-luck speeches began.

“You are an inspiration!” cooed the newly svelte young father Alec Baldwin . . .

Science and Technology

From Biden’s Cortex, Activity Detected

The brain of former vice president Joe Biden has shown signs of activity, measured with a new electrograph tool developed, ironically, as a result of federal stimulus funds disbursed eight years ago at the height of the financial crisis.

Originally designed to help local auto-repair shops measure and control smog emissions from older cars, the tool can also measure certain types of brain waves in subjects who otherwise display zero brain activity.

The former vice president’s brain, suspended in a scientific gel since his head “exploded” during the 2016 Democratic National Convention seconds after his party nominated former secretary of state Hillary Clinton — as Yale University president Hillary Rodham was then known — has been continually monitored for signs of activity to no avail. Until last Tuesday, when a lab technician was listening to a Spotify stream of Parliament of Funk’s “Up the Down Stroke” and the needle on the machine began to almost imperceptibly move . . .

The Vows Column

Amid Family and Friends,
Two Men Declare Their Love

New York Times economics columnist Paul Krugman and former president Barack Obama were married today in a festive and music-filled ceremony, amid laughter and jokes.

“It was love at first sight,” purred the hirsute columnist.

“At least for him!” added the former president, who went on to explain what many onlookers and, according to polls, 87 percent of all Americans find a baffling and unexpected turn of events.

“When someone loves you that much,” the former president explained, “beyond, let’s be clear, all reason, well, sometimes you’ve just got to let go. Paul thinks I was the greatest president the country ever had, and I guess that’s why I fell in love with him.”

After a Hawaiian honeymoon — “My man is going to teach me how to play golf,” an ebullient Krugman shouted to the crowd — the couple plans to settle in New York City. “We’ve thought about adopting,” the former president mused, “but surrogacy seems like a better bet. Paul isn’t getting any younger, of course . . .”

Officer Down

Police Officer Eddie Johnson, Jr.
Alton Missouri Police Department
End of Watch: Monday, October 20, 2014
Age: 45

Police Officer Eddie Johnson was killed in a single vehicle crash while responding to a structure fire at a home in Royal Oak, approximately six miles west of Alton.

During the response his patrol car left U.S. 160 fives miles west of Alton, struck a driveway entrance, and overturned several times. It is believed that Officer Johnson was not wearing his seat belt at the time.

Officer Johnson also served as the fire chief of the Alton Volunteer Fire Department as a reserved deputy with the Oregon County Sheriff's Office.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

I've always wanted to live in a Deluxe Apartment, in the Sky!

Coming from South Louisiana, I've known about about above ground burial my entire life. But this takes it to a whole other level, pardon the pun. And it makes sense in a small country with historical significance like Israel. May Jews living outside of Israel want to buried in their traditional homeland, but the country only had so much space.

Israel raises the dead with skyward cemetery

This Oct. 6, 2014, photo shows a new vertical part of the Yarkon cemetery outside of the city of Petah Tikva, Israel.
 (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)

PETAH TIKVA, Israel (AP) — At first glance, the multi-tiered jungle of concrete off a major central Israeli highway does not appear unusual in this city of bland high-rises. But the burgeoning towers are groundbreaking when you consider its future tenants: They will be homes not for the living but rather the dead.

With real estate at a premium, Israel is at the forefront of a global movement building vertical cemeteries in densely populated countries. From Brazil to Japan, elevated cemeteries, sometimes stretching high into the sky, will be the final resting place for thousands of people. They are now the default option for the recently departed in the Holy Land.

After some initial hesitations, and rabbinical rulings that made the practice kosher, Israel's ultra-Orthodox burial societies have embraced the concept as the most effective Jewish practice in an era when most of the cemeteries in major population centers are packed full.

"The source of all this is that there is simply no room," said Tuvia Sagiv, an architect who specializes in dense burial design. "It's unreasonable that we will live one on top of the other in tall apartment buildings and then die in villas. If we have already agreed to live one on top of the other, then we can die one on top of the other."

The Yarkon Cemetery on the outskirts of Tel Aviv has been his flagship project. As the primary cemetery for the greater Tel Aviv area, its traditional burial grounds are at near capacity with 110,000 graves stretched across 150 acres. But thanks to an array of 30 planned vertical structures, Sagiv said the cemetery will be able to provide 250,000 more graves without gobbling up any more land, providing the region with 25 years of breathing room...

...Cemetery overcrowding presents a challenge the world over, particularly in cramped cities and among religions that forbid or discourage cremation. The reality of relying on finite land resources to cope with the endless stream of the dying has brought about creative solutions.

The world's tallest existing cemetery is the 32-story high Memorial Necropole Ecumenica in Santos, Brazil.

Rhe Necropole Ecumenica Memorial stands tall in Santos, Brazil. When
completed, the five building memorial known as a vertical cemetery will hold 180,000 bodies. 

In Tokyo, the Kouanji is a six-story Buddhist temple where visitors can use a swipe card to have the remains of their loved ones brought to them from vaults on a conveyer belt system.

Versions of stacked cemeteries already exist in some shape or form in places like New Orleans and across Europe, in Egypt's Mountain of the Dead, in China and in the amphitheater-like Pok Fu Lam Rd Cemetery in Hong Kong.

But the future will likely look more like the ambitious plan of Norwegian designer Martin McSherry for an airy cemetery skyscraper that looks like a gigantic honeycomb with triangular caverns.

Other plans for cemetery towers have been presented for Paris and Mumbai. In Mexico City, another big project has been proposed: the Tower for the Dead, which will combine a vertical necropolis and an 820-foot-deep (250-meter-deep) subterranean complex. In China, Beijing residents have been provided subsidies to buy space in vertical cemeteries.

But only in Israel does the phenomenon appear to be part of a government-backed master plan. Aside from those who have already purchased their future plots, individual outdoor graves are no longer offered to the families of the more than 35,000 Israelis who die each year.

The first space-saving option is to put graves on top of each other — separated by a concrete divider — and have a shared headstone. This is common among couples and even whole families, and every new pit dug in Israel has room for at least two graves in it. The second option is stacking the dead above ground into niches built into walls, a bit like in a morgue, but adorned with headstones. The third, and most revolutionary option, is to be buried in a building where each floor resembles a traditional cemetery, without the blue sky above.

For this upheaval to take off in Israel, though, the blessing of the rabbis was needed. Israel's rabbinical authorities oversee all burials of Jewish Israelis.

The Jewish burial ritual is based on the passage in Genesis in which God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden: "For dust you are — and to dust you shall return." Jewish law stipulates that all bodies be buried separately on a layer of dust and earth.

Yaakov Ruza, the rabbi of the Tel Aviv burial society, a semiofficial organization that oversees Jewish burials, said the new forms of burial have been endorsed by leading Jewish ultra-Orthodox figures.

The towers, for instance, have pipes filled with dirt inside their columns so that each layer is still connected to the ground. In many ways, Ruza said the new types of burial represent a return to the Holy Land's ancient origins of burying inside caves and catacombs.

"This is an artificial cave," he said. "Once they used to build a cave into a mountain. Now we are taking these artificial caves and turning them into a mountain."

Jerusalem's burial society even has plans to dig an actual underground cave to find more room for the dead....

Didn't think of the part about all bodies being buried between a layer of dust and earth, but hey, it's working to handle a real issue. In discussions I get with the members of the Church of the Environment, they often scream "we are running out of room!" and we need to recycle, in spite of that costing more than landfill disposal of waste. Some people just don't understand the huge size of America as opposed to small countries like Israeli, France, Spain, Great Britain, etc. And I can see the usual suspects screaming we need this for the same reason, reality be damned. But for small countries, this is a great option.

Officer Down

Sergeant Michael Joe "Mike" Naylor
Midland County Texas Sheriff's Office
End of Watch: Thursday, October 9, 2014
Age: 46
Badge # 413

Sergeant Mike Naylor was shot and killed as he and other deputies served a warrant on a child sexual predator at a home on the 3800 block of North County Road 1247.

The officers attempted to make contact with the man, but he refused to come to the door. Deputies then broke out a window of the home to make visual and verbal contact with the man, but he still refused to come out. As Sergeant Naylor and the man continued to speak, the man suddenly fired a shot, striking the officer in the head.

Other deputies were able to pull Sergeant Naylor away from the home and transported him to a waiting ambulance. He was taken to Midland Memorial Hospital where he later succumbed to his wound. A second deputy was also transported to the hospital with breathing difficulties following the incident.

The subject who shot Sergeant Naylor was taken into custody a short time later. He was subsequently charged with capital murder and felony aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Sergeant Naylor was assigned to the Mental Health Unit and also served as the department's Honor Guard commander. He had previously served with the United States Air Force and is buried at Prairie Haven Memorial Park in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Rest in Peace Bro…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh. 

Been off the net....

Well, I'm back to the blog. Last week was crazy and I was hoping to get a few posts up Saturday, but something got in the way. Wifie had to go to hospital for a few hours. Bad allergic reaction to a prescription. She's fine, sleeping comfortably next to with baby Bugs.

For many friend out there, you know I'm not the best speller or grammar checker. So I really enjoyed this.

Have a great week!

Gee, this is the New York Puke....

After spending months rilling up racial hatred in Ferguson MO, the NY Times is trying to save some credibility. From yesterday:

Police Officer in Ferguson Is Said to Recount a Struggle

WASHINGTON — The police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., two months ago has told investigators that he was pinned in his vehicle and in fear for his life as he struggled over his gun with Mr. Brown, according to government officials briefed on the federal civil rights investigation into the matter.

The officer, Darren Wilson, has told the authorities that during the scuffle, Mr. Brown reached for the gun. It was fired twice in the car, according to forensics tests performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The first bullet struck Mr. Brown in the arm; the second bullet missed.

The forensics tests showed Mr. Brown’s blood on the gun, as well as on the interior door panel and on Officer Wilson’s uniform. Officer Wilson told the authorities that Mr. Brown had punched and scratched him repeatedly, leaving swelling on his face and cuts on his neck...

Wait, I thought, according the the eyewitnesses, that the officer simply drove up and shot Mikey Brown in cold blood, with no motive, as Mikey had his hands above his head in a surrender fashion. Now, there is blood on the officer's gun, uniform and in his vehicle. How could that be. It directly contradicts the eyewitnesses.

...Police officers typically have wide latitude to use lethal force if they reasonably believe that they are in imminent danger.

The Times has a link to a decent article on use of deadly force, but, this standard also applies civilians. Did they have reasonable fear for the life or serious bodily injury of themselves or a third person.

The officials said that while the federal investigation was continuing, the evidence so far did not support civil rights charges against Officer Wilson. To press charges, the Justice Department would need to clear a high bar, proving that Officer Wilson willfully violated Mr. Brown’s civil rights when he shot him.

The account of Officer Wilson’s version of events did not come from the Ferguson Police Department or from officials whose activities are being investigated as part of the civil rights inquiry.

Strange, the Holder Just-Us department seems to only want to seize control of local police departments and indict officers for doing their jos, but for some reason the black and Hispanic gangs killing thousands are are prosecuted for "civil rights" violations. I wonder why.

Now take a look at this quote.

...In the many accounts of Mr. Brown’s death, the most potent imagery has come from his final moments, when he and Officer Wilson faced each other on Canfield Drive. Some witnesses have said that he appeared to be surrendering with his hands in the air as he was hit with the fatal gunshots. Others have said that Mr. Brown was moving toward Officer Wilson when he was killed.

Now this one.

Few witnesses had perfect vantage points for the fight in the car, which occurred just after noon on Aug. 9. Mr. Brown was walking down the middle of the street with a friend, Dorian Johnson, when Officer Wilson stopped his S.U.V., a Chevy Tahoe, to order them to the sidewalk.

This is the first time I've heard the witnesses didn't have a good angle to view this. If this was brought up in previous reporting, I'd love to see it. For example, these witnesses:

...One witness, Piaget Crenshaw, said later that while she could not see clearly, it appeared Mr. Brown was “trying to flee.” Another witness, Tiffany Mitchell, said that she had watched with alarm from a close distance and that as the two briefly struggled, “Michael was pulling off and the cop was trying to pull him in...”

Ms Crenshaw could not see clearly, but she could determine Brown was "trying to flee." And Ms Mitchell refers to the deceased as "Michael". Maybe I'm just cynical, but she may have knows the man before he became a cause celebre. Whenever I investigate anything (assault case, accident) and I have witnesses, the first question I have of them is "Do you know any of the people in the case." It allows their statements to be put into context.

But as I told a family member when this first happened (and who was ready to hang the officer at first sight just based on the eyewitness testimony) this is a slow process and needs to be handled dispassionately. And I also mentioned to him when witnesses are put under oath they often "revise" their statements, not that they can be changed with a felony for lying.

Good to see the NY Times is actually doing some reporting for a change on this matter. Better late than never.