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Fuck the system
As many here may remember, my nephew got put into a halfway house after his grandmother lied to his probation officer. Well, things just got worse. Our wonderfully enlightened state government has passed a law saying that cold remedies containing pseudephadrine, a key ingredient for methamphetamine, have to be dispensed by a pharmacist, and the buyer has to sign a statement stating that they won't use the cold remedy in question to make meth. Essentially, and cold remedy containing peudephadrine is a controlled substance. Well, last month, my nephew had a cold, so he took some Sudafed. When his routine drug test showed signs of pseudephadrine, the nitwits immediately started to process him on charges of using meth. I just found out about this today. Needless to say, I'm rather pissed, and that some heads will most definitely roll. The point here, however, is that our liberal government is more interested in keeping crime statistics up - even if they have to create the criminals in order to do so. I believe Ayn Rand said it best: There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
Battlestar Blogging
This past weekend's episode of Battlestar Galactica has proven once again that writer/director/producer Ron Moore's idea of taking real-world events and applying them to his show is producing interesting results. In this episode, two major issues were addressed: abortion and treason. In the first case, President Roslin decides that should Sharon and Helo's Human/Cylon hybrid child come to term, it might prove a grave danger to the fleet and orders the pregnancy terminated. A last-minute epiphany by Dr. Baltar saved both the child and the cancer-ridden president. The second issue, that of treason, was interestingly played out. At the beginning of the episode, it is discovered that someone has sabotaged the ammunition used by the Viper squadrons. After an investigation, it is found that the sabotage was perpetrated by an organization of peace protestors who want Admiral Adama to surrender to the Cylons to stop the fighting and bloodshed. In the meantime, another saboteur almost destroys the tyllium refinery ship, which is responsible for providing fuel to Galactica, Pegasus, and all the other ships in the fleet. It is eventually revealed that the principle organizer of the peace protestors is a Number Six model Cylon - the same Cylon who killed Admiral Cain after being freed by Baltar. In many ways, there are vast parallels with real-world situations. Many of the peace organizations today receive funding and aid from enemy organizations and nations. International ANSWER, for example, receives money from the World Workers Party, which in turn, has recived funds from various anti-American nations, such as North Korea and Cuba. The founder of International ANSWER, Ramsey Clark, is currently serving as Saddam Hussein's defense attorney in Iraq. It will be interesting to see what other real-world events play out in Battlestar Galactica.
Seavey on CNN
This weekend, Sgt. Mark Seavey, an acquaintence of mine and a close friend of Nicki whose name and antics have been making rounds though the blogosphere for the last few weeks, had an interview with CNN. Here's the video.
Yes, GOP, I'm looking at *you*
Once again, the ministrations of representatives of the so-called "party of small government" proves that it has abandoned the principles of Ronald Reagan.
Man awarded $1 for 105 acres Port condemned
By: DANA BURKE, Citizen Staff01/19/2006
For years, Seabrook residents have said building the Bayport container facility north of town would hurt property values.
They might be surprised at how much one man got for his tract of land - $1 for 105 acres.
Pasadena land owner Glenn Seureau, II, thinks he was robbed of his by the Port of Houston Authority. He plans to continue an uphill battle with the Port until he is paid fair market value for the land.
One civil court judge, on the other hand, seems to think $1 is compensation enough for Seureau's land, located just north of Seabrook.
Seureau fought for nearly three years to protect his property, in his family for more than 150 years, from the Port's power of eminent domain, only to lose his case in May of last year in the court of Harris County Civil Court Judge Lynn Bradshaw-Hull.
The judge ruled that having paid Seureau $1, the Port now owns the fee simple title to the property. Seureau was also ordered to give back the Port's previous payment of more than $1.9 million at 5.75 percent interest and pay the Port's court costs at the same interest rate.
Seureau has appealed the ruling, and he and his attorneys are currently in negotiations with the Port.
Port officials declined to comment on the case, but confirmed that they are working with Seureau to reach an agreement.
The conflict began in September 2002, when a special commission held a hearing regarding the Port's request to condemn Seureau's land. Seureau did not attend the hearing, and the commission ordered the Port to pay him approximately $1.9 million for the property.
The Port deposited the funds into the registry of the court, taking constructive possession of the land, but Seureau refused to take the money or relinquish the title to the property.
"I didn't think (the Port) had the right to take the property," he said, adding that the Port's need for the land seems to be based on private rather than public interests.
The Port plans to build a portion of the Houston Cruise Terminal on the property.
Seureau also believes $1.9 million is less than the market value for the land, which he had planned to develop with multi-family residences.
He was later advised by an attorney that he did not have the right to contest eminent domain and withdrew the $1.9 million to pay for further appeals regarding the market value of his land.
The Port brought Seureau to Bradshaw-Hull's court on May 16, 2005 to obtain the fee simple title that Seureau had withheld until that point.
On May 17, the judge excluded the testimony of both Seureau and his only expert witness, Louis Smith, saying that neither man could provide evidence that was relevant or reliable regarding the market value of Seureau's land.
According to court documents, the judge's final ruling was based on a lack of evidence to support Seureau's argument.
Seureau also made a motion to exclude the testimony of one of the Port's expert witnesses, Matthew Deal. The court denied that motion.
Seureau, who lives in his 180-year-old family home next door to the recently condemned property, said that although he is not familiar with the judge's intentions, he sees Bradshaw-Hull's ruling as a "punishment" for trying to challenge the Port.
"I was forced to settle for less than market value," he said.
Bradshaw-Hull declined to comment on the case since it is on appeal.
Judge Bradshaw-Hull is seeking reelection on the GOP platform.
You know what I hate?
Writer's block. In two hours, I can write a paper for school and get the highest grade in the class. In fact, I routinely help others edit and revise their papers in order to improve their grades. It's something at which I happen to have some talent. At work, I can devise, plan, and write a new training program from scratch in less than a day. I know this because I've accomplished this very feat just last week. Lately, however, when I attempt to write something of personal interest to me, my brain seizes up like a Yugo with bad RaceTrack gasoline. Much like Salma Hayek's character Serendipity in Kevin Smith's Dogma, I have a zillion and one ideas running around in my head, but can't seem to grab hold of any of them and keep them for myself. Take this past week as an example. I've had muses running around in my head like ADHD-afflicted children who have been loaded up with caffeine, sugar, and crystal meth. Unfortunately, those muses - and the ideas they generate - are as difficult grab as the aforementioned hopped-up hellions. When I try to latch on to one of the many ideas buzzing around in my brain, they all scatter like politicians threatened with an ethics investigation. The time-tested method of keeping a notebook present at all times has proven futile. As soon as hand touches pen or fingers touch keyboard, my brain goes quiet. It's infinitely perplexing and annoying. The only thing missing here is Nelson Muntz spouting his trademark "HA! HA!" at my failed efforts. I swear if this keeps up, I'll probably end up going mad.
Meme
 You are Captain Malcolm Reynolds, aka. Mal or Captain Tightpants. You saw most of your men die in a war you lost and now you seek solitude with a small crew that you are fiercely devoted to. You have no problems being naked. Which Firefly character are you? brought to you by Quizilla
Politics of Battlestar Galactica
Ron Moore, Navy veteran and creator of the current incarnation of the SciFi television series Battlestar Galactica, has said he wanted to draw parallels between the War on Terror and the Second Cylon War - the holocaust from which the Galactica and the fleet she protects are currently fleeing. All the while, the fleet is pursued by Cylon fleets bent on destroying the last of humanity. Over the weekend, I was watching some episodes from the first half of Season 2. In one episode, President Roslin and Commander Adama ask a reporter (played by Lucy Lawless) to do a piece on the crew of the Galactica. Naturally, the reporter tries to spin the story that paints the crew in a negative light. After taping an incident which could compromise security aboard Galactica, Adama tries to confiscate the tape. When the reporter was reluctant, Adama makes a comment about doing what's right. The reporter relplies "I'm sick of people like you questioning my patriotism." Of course, she hands Adama a fake take, having hidden the real one in her bra. The reporter, D'Anna Biers, continues to make her expose, doing everything she could to ambush the crew in uncomfortable settings, or to find a way to lay blame of some bad command decisions on certain crew members (such as Colonel Tigh). Then end of the episode reveals that the reporter is a Cylon infiltrator. Does this sound a little familiar?
...the jokes just write themselves. Sen. Kennedy to Publish Children's Book
NEW YORK - Meet the latest children's author, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and his Portuguese Water Dog, Splash, his co-protagonist in "My Senator and Me: A Dogs-Eye View of Washington, D.C."
Scholastic Inc. will release the book in May.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to create a book for young readers and their families that will deepen their understanding of how our American government works," Kennedy said in a statement Monday issued by Scholastic.
According to Scholastic, Kennedy's book "not only takes readers through a full day in the Senator's life, but also explains how a bill becomes a law." Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, was inspired to write the book from his work with a Washington-based reading program, "Everybody Wins!"
Kennedy's net proceeds will be donated to charity.
Books are a Kennedy family tradition, from John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Profiles in Courage" to the poetry compilations edited by Caroline Kennedy. Books about dogs are a Washington tradition, thanks to the best-selling "Millie's Book," by then-first lady Barbara Bush.
Ted Kennedy's book is 56 pages and includes illustrations by David Small, winner of the 2001 Caldecott Medal for his pictures in Judith St. George's "So You Want to Be President?"
Hat tip: Malkin. A Vermont man was sentenced to 60 days in jail for repeatedly raping a child over a span of four years. You read that right: 60 days. Let's look at the article: Rapist's Prison Sentence Triggers Outrage
Burlington, Vermont -- January 4, 2005
There was outrage Wednesday when a Vermont judge handed out a 60-day jail sentence to a man who raped a little girl many,many times over a four-year span starting when she was seven.
The judge said he no longer believes in punishment and is more concerned about rehabilitation.
Prosecutors argued that confessed child-rapist Mark Hulett, 34, of Williston deserved at least eight years behind bars for repeatedly raping a littler girl countless times starting when she was seven.
But Judge Edward Cashman disagreed explaining that he no longer believes that punishment works.
Read the rest here. One could argue that punishment and rehabilitation are often the same. For example, if a man rapes a child, and I cut his balls off with a dull, rusty chainsaw, I'd say that he's being punished and rehabilitated at the same time. Not only is he paying the price for his crime, assurances are being made that the perpetrator will never again be able to rape another child.
Miner tragedy. Media Fiasco
There was a lot I wanted to say about the media's grotesque minshandling of the recent tragedy in Tallmansville, WV, but Laurence Simon of TBIFOC beat me to it. Laurence hits the nail on the head with this statement: Welcome to the Age of the Global Misinformation Sausage Factory.
Once upon a time, they actually appeared to give a damn. They either had the sources or they admitted they didn't and busted their asses to get them.
But these days, instead of getting more meat in our hotdogs from the sausage factory that is news, we are getting more and more sawdust and filtler. And every time we get a peek into the sausage factory, such as the incidents with Jayson Blair and Judy Miller, we are revolted at the reeking conditions under which this piss-poor quality product is being manufactured, packaged, and marketed.
And yet, like the fools who wolf down the anonymous casings full of pureed pig-parts, we gulp down this infocrap without a second thought
Attention Men
Hat tip: Nicki. Guys, do you ever have that not-so-fresh feeling in your groin? Does the smell of ball-sweat make you gag when you drop trou? If so, then we've got just the product for you: Balla Powder. Product Information
• 3.5 oz
• Lightly fragranced
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• Also great for sweaty buttocks, armpits and feet
Description
Ball powder. We're not kidding.
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A fabulous post-workout treatment, Balla Powder for Men can also be used between your cheeks, as well as on fetid feet and aromatic armpits.
Non-Asbestiform Talc
Balla Powder for Men contains Non-Asbestiform Talc. That is, talc which DOES NOT contain carcinogenic asbestos fibers. FDA considers non-asbestiform talc to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in cosmetics.
Ingredients
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Fragrance.
We're from the government....
...And we're here to fuck things up even more than they already are. 1M cans of donated water dumped
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.01.2006
DALLAS — One million cans of drinking water donated for hurricane relief have been emptied and recycled because the water was never used at Texas and Louisiana hurricane shelters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
FEMA hauled the 400,000 liters of water, or 18 truckloads, to a scrap-metal business in the Dallas area last month. The water was dumped into a sewer and the cans sent for recycling.
FEMA spokesman Don Jacks said the cans were given by Coca-Cola and other donors in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. After the evacuees left, the shelters gave the unused water to FEMA, which stored them at its Fort Worth regional distribution center.
"We didn't need it anymore," Jacks said.
In addition, expiration dates stamped on some of the 12-ounce, unpainted cans had expired, said Joe Perkins Jr., foreman of Lake June Scrap Metals.
Water doesn't spoil, but it can take on the taste of its container, said Ray Crockett, a spokesman for Coca-Cola. The company donated about 40 million drinks, mostly water, during the relief effort, he said.
FEMA is grateful for the donations, but they can be a mixed blessing because the agency must pay for transporting and disposing of leftover goods, Jacks said.
Crockett said Coca-Cola was pleased that most of the products it donated reached people who needed them.
Well, since everyone else is doing it....
...I'm going to make predictions for 2006. Here goes my prediction: 2006 is going to suck just as bad as, if not worse than, 2005. Crappy New Year, everyone.
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