- From the “Magic Missile” Department – The EU decided to take a more assertive role in suppression of piracy in the sea near Somalia recently when it conducted air strikes against targets on the coast of Somalia. I can find no reports on the success of the air strikes, but there are reports that there were no casualties. I tip my hat to the pilots and gunners in these airstrikes. To conduct an air raid and not kill anyone is quite an accomplishment. Either the EU has Robin Hood manning the guns on its helicopters and airplanes, the reports are erroneous, or someone warned the target to get their people clear before their base was bombarded. It’s probably just a case of bad reporting, and there actually were some casualties. But the cynic in me believes that it’s quite possible that someone didn’t want pictures of dead bodies on CNN and put out a warning.
- From the “No Kidding?” Department – Human Rights Watch is accusing the Iraqi government of running at least one off-the-books prison. They assert that Iraqi citizens are taken off the streets without judicial overview, thrown into this prison, and tortured. This is my shocked face. Is anyone else surprised that about 15 minutes after the last American truck crossed the Kuwaiti frontier the Iraqis started returning to the tried and true methods used by 3rd world dictators to keep power? Did these naive individuals actually think that once what little influence we had on the day-to-day running of Iraq was over that the government, its rivals, and the Iraqi people would make nice and it would rain rose petals and free soup? Of course the Iraqi government is going to throw people they don’t like into prison and violate their human rights, you dolts. It’s Iraq,not Switzerland. Want western style democracy in a country without the prerequisites for Western style democracy? Then quit whining when Western democracies use their armed forces to force the local fuzzywuzzies into line until they learn how to act like a democracy.
- From the “WTF?” Department – A Panamanian fisherman is suing a cruiseline because, he claims, the crew of one of its ships failed to provide aid to him and his shipmates when they were adrift on the Pacific Ocean. Passengers on the cruiseship maintain that they saw the fishing boat signalling the larger ship and told crewmembers. Several people on the smaller boat subsequently died before the rest of the crew were rescued by Peruvian authorities after several weeks adrift at sea. If the allegations are true, I hope this young man and the rest of the surviving crew take the cruiseline to the financial woodshed over this. Failing to give aid to the stricken is one of those things that just makes my teeth itch.
- From the “This Can’t End Well” Department – Officials in Mississippi are telling drivers to be on the alert after two shootings on the state’s roadways. There are unconfirmed reports that the shooter is posing as a police officer, complete with flashing blue lights, to get people to pull over. The district attorney is advising drivers to turn on their flashers and go to a safe place if pulled over. If you’ve ever been in rural Mississippi, it can be a long way between ‘safe places’. I hope this doesn’t turn into either an excuse to not stop for the police for 30 miles or that a real policeman is hurt because someone he or she stops thinks they’re the imposter.
News Roundup
Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/15/news-roundup-116/
Bovine Fertilizer
John Chevilott found a loaded revolver while doing his job, alerted his foreman, and later turned the gun into police. His first inclination was to turn it into a police patrol, but didn’t see one that day. Instead, he took the gun to his local police department after leaving work. Most people would think he did the responsible thing, including your truly.
Apparently the city of Detroit doesn’t agree. Mr. Chevilott has been fired and his foreman was suspended for 30 days over the incident.
The only thing I could have seen him do differently was to not touch the gun, stop working, and insist that his supervisor contact management to get the police to come and get it immediately. If the gun was evidence of a crime, leaving it lie would have kept his fingerprints and such off of it, and not touching it would also have kept his hoplophobe management from having a PSH attack*.
Even though he didn’t do that, he did the responsible thing. He secured the gun, and turned it into the police. He broke no laws as far as I can tell. His foreman knew the circumstances of how he found it, and if the way things were being done were wrong, then he should have called for the police and informed higher management.
This man did the right thing, and now he’s being punished for it. I hope this wrong is rectified, and I hope that his example does not deter those who find themselves in similar situations from doing the right thing.
*Do y’all think it would be impolite for me to send a package of clean underwear to the director of public works in Detroit? He seems to be needing one over the presence of a lump of metal.
Update – Fixed the link. Thanks to Christina LMT for spotting the broken link!
Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/15/bovine-fertilizer/
30 Days of Dune – Day 11
The Fremen were supreme in that quality the ancients called “spannungsbogen” — which is the self-imposed delay between desire for a thing and the act of reaching out to grasp that thing. — The Wisdom of Muad’Dib
My Take – I never fail to fail when I impulsively get what I want. I have three rather expensive pieces of wood and metal in a safe downstairs that I bought on a whim and now don’t take out very often, either because they’re expensive to feed or are unreliable. I have an ex-wife because I wasn’t willing to wait for our relationship to properly mature before we ran looking for a justice of the peace. Both of us came to regret that, and our regret had repercussions for many other people, including our child. If something is worth having, it’s worth taking the time to make sure it’s what you really want or need and not just something shiny that fascinates you for the moment.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/15/30-days-of-dune-day-11/
Today’s Earworm
Presented without comment.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/15/todays-earworm-161/
News Roundup
- From the “Cave Walls Are For Porn” Department – Scientists in France have uncovered limestone blocks that fell from the ceiling of a cave, and found carvings of female genitalia on them. They believe the figures were carved over 35,000 years ago. Think about that. One of the first things that modern humans did when they occupied Europe was to start putting pin-ups on the ceiling. It’s almost reminiscent of where my Farrah Fawcett poster ended up.
- From the “3rd Party” Department – Ron Paul has announced that he will no longer be campaigning for the Republican nomination. Some will see this as Congressman Paul choosing to be a statesman over being a politician. Others will see this as an opening gambit in some Machiavellian plan to gain the nomination. I see this as an excellent opportunity to take a better look at Gary Johnson. The thought that comes to my mind on this: I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if a million Wookies cried out in frustration and then were silenced.
- From the “Done Dirt Cheap” Department – The high-tech Solyndra manufacturing plant that President Obama visited and praised in 2010 is being prepared for sale. Also up on the auction block is the president’s credibility when it comes to business decisions and his prowess in picking horses.
- From the “IP Over Clay” Department – Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a clay tablet with what they believe to be the only evidence for a previously unknown language. The cuneiform writing on it may be the only example of a language spoken by a people deported to the area by the Assyrian empire. My guess is that if it is ever translated, it will be two teenagers complaining about their friends on FaceTablet, or gushing about the latest boy band, Assyrian Asylum.
- From the “2.5 Leagues Under the Sea” Department – Archaeologists in England are trying to figure out why the boat they built using tools and materials similar to what Bronze Age shipbuilders would have used sunk immediately after being launched. My guess is that generations of ancient craftsmen had a few tricks and techniques for making sure their boats didn’t turn into very expensive fish traps. Hopefully the British crew will re-discover the wonders of pine tar so we can get some photos of their boat actually floating.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/15/news_roundup/
30 Days of Dune – Day 10
Anything outside yourself, this you can see and apply your logic to it. But it’s a human trait that when we encounter personal problems, these things most deeply personal are the most difficult to bring out for our logic to scan. We tend to flounder around, blaming everything but the actual, deep-seated thing that’s really chewing on us. — Jessica
My Take – It’s difficult to be objective about the personal. It takes real discipline and maturity to look critically at yourself and honestly list the things that are wrong. But if you can’t admit to yourself that you have things you need to work on, be they big or small, then you can never improve. When I’m shooting, I try to take a few moments between groups of shots to go over my gun handling, safety, breathing control, sight picture, and all of the other things that go into making a good shot. The same should be done when doing any activity or when confronted by any situation that gives you time to reflect on it when searching for a solution. Take a moment, honestly examine the problem and your relation to it, and try to come up with a rational solution. You won’t always be able to do this, and you won’t always be successful when you do, but you have a better chance than if you merely play spin-the-bottle looking for someone or something else to blame.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 14, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/14/30-days-of-dune-day-10/
Today in History
Israeli Declaration of Independence
May 14, 1948
Posted by daddybear71 on May 14, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/14/today-in-history-8/
Today’s Earworm
Stumbled across this one while doing a wander through YouTube. Didn’t realize Angelina Jolie was in music videos early in her career.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 14, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/14/todays-earworm-160/
Question
The other day, I noticed a billboard for a local lawyer. He touts his years of military service and has the tagline “Call the Colonel!”.
I also saw a truck for a lawn service, with a picture of the owner in his Navy uniform complete with ribbons. He advertised his services as veteran owned and operated.
For me, knowing that a business is veteran owned and operated has a positive impact on my decision. However, I’m uncomfortable with overt displays of military symbols in advertisements. I feel almost the same way about that as I do when I see someone in uniform making a political statement.
My question for the veterans and active duty servicemembers out there is this: When you see things like this, where someone is promoting their service so as to make their business stand out in the crowd, does it bother you?
Is there an acceptable level of promotion of veteran status or service? If so, where is your line?
Does it make you more or less likely to use their services, assuming that their cost and reputation are as good as others?
For the non-military folks out there, do these kind of advertisements have any impact on your purchasing decisions?
Posted by daddybear71 on May 14, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/14/question-8/
Today’s Earworm II
OK, enough with the psychological regurgitation of my issues. Here’s something whimsical for Mother’s Day.
Posted by daddybear71 on May 13, 2012
https://daddybearsden.com/2012/05/13/todays-earworm-ii-3/
DaddyBear
DaddyBear’s Den 