After being tortured with a “nonlethal” Taser…
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/22/florida.suspect.dead/index.html
GOP Senator Mike Lee (Utah) is saying some idiotic stuff these days:
Either the Senator is incompetent and doesn’t know that it’s HIS job to to pass a budget bill, Obama SIGNS or vetoes bills passed by Congress. Or, he hopes we the voters are clueless and don’t understand the bill creation process. Either way, he is making statements that make him look a fool. For everyone’s info, below is the saturday morning cartoon time PSA we all saw as kids detailing how a bill becomes law:
Have you ever thought “What would I do if I was the only person on the train?” Check this out:
And part two, the autotune version:
Nothing to say here, just thought this might interest some folks. Metro train operator sees smoke ahead on the track and stops the train to investigate and get further instruction. She is ultimately told to use the fire extinguisher to put out the fire. If only all Metro’s troubles could be handled this quickly.
Oh my ohhhhh my. I’ve always felt that tasers, tools which emit THOUSANDS of volts of electrical energy which impair motor functions of those unlucky enough to have one used on them… should NOT be regularly used by professional police forces in any Western style democracy which claims to respect the rule of law and citizens rights. (I still support their use only in situations where a firearm would be proper to deploy) The original intent behind tazers was to offer police a tool which was supposed to be “safe” and billed as an alternative to deadly force (firing a handgun). Tasers were only to be used when deadly force was authorized. In the years since introduction, more and more officers have started carrying tasers and their scope of use has expanded so they may be justified in using these tools any time they (the officers) feel their authority is not being respected. We’ve all heard stories about drivers being tased for not complying with police instructions during traffic stops. Does anyone also feel the use of a firearm would be justified in those situations? Not hardly! So, why is it now SOP for an officer to tase a citizen for disobedience or simple resistance (not cooperating)? The use of these devices has simply gotten out of hand, and police conduct review boards see no issue with overboard cops unloading several thousand volts into disrespectful citizens. Here we have a story from Courthouse News Service where a grandmother who is old and bedridden couldn’t remember the last time she took her meds when her grandson asked the question. Not satisfied with the response the grandson called 911 and asked for an EMT to come and evaluate her.
Lonnie Tinsley claims that he called 911 after he went to check on his grandmother, whom he found in her bed, “connected to a portable oxygen concentrator with a long hose.” She is “in marginal health, [and] takes several prescribed medications daily,” and “was unable to tell him exactly when she had taken her meds,” so, Tinsley says, he called 911 “to ask for an emergency medical technician to come to her apartment to evaluate her.”
In response, “as many as ten El Reno police” officers “pushed their way through the door,” according to the complaint.
Instead several cops arrived and not surprisingly the grandmother was not happy to see armed agents of the government in her house without permission. She yelled for the police to get out of her apartment and was tased in her bed (while hooked up to highly combustible oxygen) for her act of defiance. That’s right, they tased a bedridden 87 year old woman in her bed who posed no threat to them, and they shouldn’t have been there in the first place. And how did these cowards justify their actions? They actually claimed the bedridden woman has taken an “aggressive stance” in her bed, whatever that means. Latest news shows the woman is suing the town for their assault that day.
These assaults on citizens are growing more common every day. Until we as a nation demand strict policies concerning their use we can expect rogue police officers and conduct review boards to continue approving employing them in barbaric ways when their commands are not complied with immediately. This folks is the beginning of a police state, where compliance is mandatory and passive resistance is met with painful electrical force which depending on the health of the citizen attacked can (and has) had deadly consequences.
Today I’ve sequestered myself at a Panera Bread away from my toys and TV. Just me, a laptop, and a tethered cellphone for data (Panera’s WiFi is abysmal!) so I can get a few posts up I’ve meant to commit to the interwebz. This story, courtesy of The Consumerist details how four Wal-mart employees were staring down the barrel of a loaded handgun held by a laptop swiping shoplifter.
It began when Walmart workers noticed the suspect stick a netbook under his clothes. He was met at the exit by a loss-prevention coordinator who escorted him back to the loss-prevention room at the store where three more employees joined him.
When the shoplifter pulled out the netbook, he also pulled out his handgun.
“It’s cocked, guys,” the gun-wielding fellow reportedly told the workers. “Don’t make me do this.”
This isn’t a situation they asked to be a part of but yet fate forced their hand. They intervened to save their lives by tackling the gun wielding thug and for their brave actions they were rewarded with disciplinary termination. The Wal-mart policy they violated is called “AP09″ and it states if a suspect displays a weapon, Wal-mart associates (as they are called in Walton lingo) are to disengage and withdraw. I can surely imagine they would have prefered to be anywhere else other than a back security room with a gun pointed at them, so I’m at a severe loss to understand… where should they have disengaged and withdrawn to? there is a criminal with a gun standing in-between them and the exit door. It appears Wal-mart feels they should have submitted to the criminals whims, even if that meant he takes their lives. This is UNACCEPTABLE to anyone who values their own life. Wal-mart would rather YOU, the employee DIE or get seriously wounded than defend yourselves from attack. Is Wal-mart actually this ethically challenged? Yes, “Always”.
Disclaimer: I am not in any way associated with Samlex or Samlex America. I am simply a happy customer sharing a great experience.
It has been a while since I’ve been impressed, truly impressed not only by a product I have purchased, but also the customer service provided by the manufacturer. Well, today I have found another very rare gem in a company called Samlex, they make power conversion products – in my case the product I bought was a SEC-1235M which converts 110v AC house current to 13.8v DC for my radio gear. I purchased my SEC-1235M from Ham Radio Outlet about a year ago based on a recommendation by Steve W4SHG who is the manager of the Woodbridge, VA location. The Samlex power supply is small, nice looking, RF quiet and the price is very reasonable, especially considering the output is 35A. I loved the SEC-1235M so much I invested in Samlex again and purchased a SPS-1206 which is smaller, has no meters and outputs 5.5A (which is what I needed for a secondary supply).
SEC-1235M Power Supply
Recently I was gathering gear in preparation for operating the Virginia QSO Party from a field location, and the SEC-1235M was to provide 13.8V radio power. While disconnecting the supply from my gear it slipped out of my hands and fell off my desk. One of the plastic windows covering the meters was damaged beyond repair in the fall but would not prohibit me from using the supply, it was just a cosmetic defect as far as I could tell. I used the supply for the QSO party and then pressed it back into service on my desk when I got back home. But… I was annoyed that my nice metered supply now has a missing plastic meter window, it just didn’t look right. I looked up Samlex on the web and contacted customer support to ask about purchasing a replacement meter window. The next day I received an email from Ken, an Applications Engineer from Samlex America in Coquitlam, BC. Ken wrote to me he would be happy to send a replacement windows for my supply, he only needed my address. But wait… what’s the charge? NOTHING is free these days! I emailed Ken my home address and asked him what I would need to pay for the replacement, I was astonished when Ken replied the part would be sent to me FREE of charge. The replacement meter window arrived yesterday and I had it installed 2 minutes after it arrived, now the SEC-1235M is back to its original luster. I can’t thank Ken and Samlex enough for the outstanding customer support. In fact, when researching who to contact for replacing the broken meter window I noticed this on the Samlex “About Us” web page, their Mission Statement reads “To develop enduring relationships with our customers by providing innovative power conversion products supported by the best customer service in the industry.” I have added bold and underline myself for emphasis, because I feel Samlex indeed make the best power conversion product money can buy partnered with the best customer service in the industry. I wish more companies made quality products backed by the same customer support exhibited by Samlex, sadly that’s not the case. Suffice to say, Samlex has my business for years to come!
Does anyone recall stories about the “Iron Pipeline”, a term describing the flow of guns from southern states where civil liberties are respected into gun prohibition areas like NYC and Massachusetts? It’s because of this “iron pipeline” hoopla that Virginia enacted a “one gun a month” law in hopes to curb the number of Virginia firearms that make their way up north.
From The New York Times:
In a Brooklyn courtroom last month, a Columbia University professor delivered a lesson in why existing gun laws do not work. The professor, Dr. Howard Andrews, testified that 90 percent of the guns recovered in New York crime investigations from 1996 to 2000 had been bought out of state. A large number came from five states with lax gun laws: Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The suit in which Dr. Andrews testified, in which a ruling is expected shortly, charges gun manufacturers and dealers with doing too little to stop illegal handgun sales. His data give the fullest picture yet of the ”iron pipeline,” in which guns are transported from Southern states. The iron pipeline is one of the biggest factors in thwarting New York in its efforts to keep guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals. There are ways to stop the flow.
What really fuels the flow of guns up north are the draconian laws and red tape law-abiding folks must jump through who live under those repressive regimes. When you artificially lower the availability of a certain item that common folks want, they WILL go to great lengths to subvert the law and obtain them. Don’t believe me? Well, there’s yet another pipeline of illicit goods crossing borders, and it’s soooo bad that if caught with this evil item you could face a $10,000 fine and up to FIVE years in prison. What IS this evil abomination? Fermented grapes, AKA wine.
From The Washington Post:
Lawyers, government consultants, high-tech workers and even members of the General Assembly – all typically law-abiding residents – have developed an indirect route for smuggling their favorite vino. They have wine delivered to offices in the District or to the homes of friends in Virginia – two of the 38 jurisdictions nationwide that allow vineyards to ship wine directly to consumers.
When Maryland wine connoisseurs drive their cases back across the Free State border, however, they are technically committing a crime – a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $10,000 and prison sentence of up to five years. State officials say no residents in recent memory have been prosecuted.
Note: Misdemeanor conviction/incarceration is generally 364 days or shorter. Felonies carry sentences of 365 days or longer. I’m confused about this particular “misdemeanor” carrying a 5 year prison sentence.
So, here we have another situation where the government is restricting personal choice and freedom in one local, and the community knows they can make a short drive (and ignore the law) to satisfy their demand for product. I see it as no different from the “iron pipeline” described above. Whether it’s guns, wine, gambling, or whatever… folks are going to get what they want; it’s just a matter of how far they have to go to attain it. What’s remarkable is the voters who live in these areas put up with this idiocy and keep dumb politicians gainfully employed, even when their time is up. Fatuous laws only serve to make honest people criminals, keep shameless politicians employed, and fund police departments. Free people should be able to make free choices, the law of supply vs. demand cannot be broken.
From: 11alive.com
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA — Every once in a while a hero steps into someone’s life. One stepped into Heather Kloer’s life on January 6th. It happened in the parking lot of an Office Depot on Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. Kloer was walking to her car when she was approached by a man with a knife.
Link to full story above, another example of an armed citizen saving a life. Imagine if Rob Strickland had only had a cellphone to call 911 and not a handgun that night… do you feel the outcome might have been different?
It’s been a few weeks since this took place but I’m just getting around to posting something. (Well It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything ha) I’ve had the requisite equipment to make contacts through ham radio satellites for about 6 months but never bothered to make a first attempt. Since I was going to participate in a radio contest with my club I figured it was the perfect time to assemble the equipment and give it a whirl. Keep in mind, this is my first attempt… I’m much better now and make almost daily contacts through satellites, the furthest being Portland, OR. The video below is in HD and shows my first hamsat contact on AO-27 along with fellow club member Ray Anderson, KJ4CNN. In subsequent posts I’ll have video of contacts through AO-51.
