More Interesting Events

[PB the Deplorable]

Thank you, Chew Mouse.  I think our level of discourse in this country has just really gone downhill in the last 25 years...

About the time Reagan took office and the D's decided everyone else were Nazi's out to poison the air and water, and who wanted to kill old people and kids?

[FightTheFuture]

http://www.humanevents.com/2013/03/19/harry-reid-links-marine-deaths-to-sequestration/

AND

Kermit Gosnell on Trial for Abortion "House of Horrors"

Today is the second day in the trial of Kermit Gosnell, the infamous Philadelphia abortionist charged with murdering seven newborn babies and one young woman in a botched abortion due to overdose of anesthesia. Gosnell killed the babies with scissors after they had been born

Hannibal Lecter hasn`t a thing on this monster.

[Juan]

Because I try to expand my horizons in all areas, last night, I specifically tuned in to Bishop N.T. Wright on Hugh Hewitt's show.  While his main thrust was pitching his book on the New Testament, he made an interesting point.  He's from the UK but visits the US frequently.  He mentioned how polarized the US has become over the past 20 or so years.  He also talked about all the name-calling as part of this. 

We see this on this forum, from people of all political persuasions, who otherwise appear to be intelligent, good people.  I wish people would try to make arguments without the name-calling.  It diminishes one's argument.

As for the 13-month old child murdered, that happened in my TV market, so it's a local story here.  So far, it hasn't been politicized.  I hope it stays that way.  But since the kids under arrest are black and the victims are white, there's always the potential.  Yesterday, the local CBS-TV affiliate played the interview with the mother of the child.  When they came back to the anchors, the female anchor was crying.  I don't think I've ever seen that.

[Sardondi]

...As for the 13-month old child murdered, that happened in my TV market, so it's a local story here.  So far, it hasn't been politicized.  I hope it stays that way.  But since the kids under arrest are black and the victims are white, there's always the potential.  Yesterday, the local CBS-TV affiliate played the interview with the mother of the child.  When they came back to the anchors, the female anchor was crying.  I don't think I've ever seen that....

Stories like that terrify the media. I wonder why no one among them has asked whether the suspects were fans of Django Unchained.

[Pragmier]

I didn't think there was anything wrong with Zircon's sources *shrug*. The Gosnell story included the Grand Jury report. For the Harry Reid piece, if you're a "leftie" that stopped reading at Human Events, Powerful Conservative Voices, you missed about half-way down the story uses video from an NBC/MSNBC news show. This is not to say the reporting is validated by MSNBC; just echoing other's comments that decry edification based entirely on homogeneous sources.

[onan]

This thread started with a garrish over-the-top posts that shocks more than explains. And it is summed up with this is what a truce on abortion is.


It isn't even close. But it does muddy if not bloody the water of the discussion.


So to add just some clarity, many if not most women that choose to abort are already mothers. Many times with 2 or more children. Most if not all clinics have LCSW's that assess the mother's reasonings. And if there is conflict in the choice the procedure is not performed. Most unwanted pregnancies occur due to failure of birth control. So in reality many times a pregnancy wasn't wanted. So abortion becomes the last line in birth control.


The question of life was simplistically offered, At one time "ensoulement" the real qualifier for the spiritually minded as to life, began at the crowning. Then several hundred years went by and the "quickening" became the standard, then about a 100 years later the fetal heart beat became the standard and now it is conception... What did god change his mind or man?... I am betting on man. And a further note I am betting most of you can't tell me when or even what conception is... but I bet everyone here has an opinion. 


Margaret Sanger started out providing help to mothers avoid or postpone subsequent pregnancies due to financial and health reasons. That Raison d'être has been morphed into "planned parenthood is teaching teenagers to be sluts."


Margaret Sanger wanted to help stabilize the family structure both emotionally and financially and yes she was probably racist. Look at the times and think how many probably were. I find it hypocritical to bemoan the cost of an innocent life then a minute later bemoan children's subsidies... it is pretty tough to have it both ways.


So it all comes back to a vile monster to become the presentation of doctors that perform abortions.


And finally the originator of this thread has pulled this kind of trolling several times before... and yeah I got vulgar and he deserved it.

[West of the Rockies]

Hi, Zircon... your thoughtful reply deserves more attention than I can offer at the moment, but I will say that I don't watch Fox News or any other televised news program.  My wife and I ditched the idiot box when our daughter turned 3 (8 years ago).  I will readily agree with you that televised news is no great shakes.  It seems to be 30 second soundbytes.  Deep analysis on a 30-minute news broadcast is, what, 120 seconds?  I do listen to the radio a lot.  NPR (as I already admitted) and some the talk radio material (as much as I can stomach before I start swearing at the radio).  I truly hate the sort of morning banter that sounds like what I used to hear in the locker room in high school (or junior high).  Why is that a radio personality will say something snarky, such as, "Man, that's gotta hurt!"  And then he'll say it again.  And again.  And again.  And then his sidekick will play a clip of some sound effect or such over and over. 

On that AM band I listen to Dennis Miller a little, Michael Savage (rarely), and a couple other guys whose names I do not now recall.  I don't disagree with every single utterance that comes out of their mouths.

I'll try to address your other points a little later (if you're at all interested).  Hey, and I mean this sincerely, thank you for the thoughtful response.  I am not a vet.  Due to an eye injury I suffered as a four-year-old, I would have been 4-F, but I did register (as a CO -- conscientious objector).  It was a moot point since I'd not have been allowed to join even if I had eagerly wished to do so.

I'm curious about something. As someone with a background in science, are you not dismayed by the seeming tendency of the Republican party to dismiss science (global warming, evolution, some ecology and such)?  I can hear Bobby Jindall in my head complaining about funds going to the study of volcanoes as though it were utter nonsense.

[West of the Rockies]

Hey, Zircon... I do understand your irritation at being called names.  (Personally, I've always thought the term "douchebag" was a little weird.  I first heard it in Revenge of the Nerds:  "What are you lookin' at?"  "I thought I was looking at my mom's old douchebag, but that's in Ohio."  I respond with insults when I am insulted.  I kind of miss the sort of insults we might fling back and forth at each other in Shakespeare's day:  "Thou meddling toad-spotted strumpet!"

Regarding the liberal assault on our rights, we definitely see things differently.  Some people think the Democratic party is trying to "take away our guns, ban Christmas, redistribute all our wealth and give it to minorities who don't want to work for a living, fund studies to save snail-darters -- at the expense of farmers and landowners, etc...."

But that -- in my very different opinion from yours -- is like if a progressive said, "All the Republicans want to do is gut the environment, imprison all homosexuals, take away voting rights for minorities, put a gun in the hands of four-year-olds, etc...." 

Both perspectives are pretty reductionist, don't you think?  The truth is that there probably are a few voices on both sides that do say such things.  We can all point to Obama-phone lady and the like.

I just appreciate a little more nuance and consideration of "the other side". 

[Zircon]

West of the Rockies,

WotR, tossing out the idiot box/boob tube is probably the smartest thing you could have done for your child's sake. She might have a puzzled look from time to time in her social life as others talk about MTV, BET and reality shows but I'll be her cognitive skills and being able to think more clearly are way ahead of where they could have been had she been a TV Zombie.

Well, I've listened to NPR and I am not really disappointed with their content as I do find it informative. I wish they'd expand it a bit. I will confess I listen to Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. While many people find these two objectionable, they do back up every comment with verbal or written documentation. Being conservative talk radio they know they are definitely in the major media's cross-hairs so vet their material. I think much of the dislike for them comes from the left who people seem to have been reduced to believing lock, stock and barrel. There is so much going on that needs to be addressed and the left is genius in blaming everything on the republicans/conservatives and making it stick. Our national level of thinking is damaged and we're getting a good dose of what the Weimar Republic applied to the Germans following WWI and the miserable conditions they lived under ... "anything goes, debauchery!"

Dennis Miller is a good source. He can get nasty but again, can back up his allegations. You listening to Michael Savage !!! Now that is a shock to hear that from a NPR guy like you. Geez !!! even I find that guy too much to listen to. He treats his callers like pesky flies. Mark Levine is a scholar compared to him (even though Mr. Weiner has a PhD from Berkeley).

As to global warming - the sun goes through cycles. We had the snowball earth 600 million years ago and its ending brought forth the explosion in biota on our planet. We've had vulcanism, continental drifts, variance in the suns energy output and impacts in our history covering the 5 or 6 major extinction events we've suffered - many minor ones as well. It is easy to say our industrial output is effecting the earth. I'm sure it isn't doing it any favors so please don't think I'm shrugging it all off. China and India are massive pollute3rs yet all attention is focused on shutting down American industry. So I think there is more politics than science involved at this time.

Evolution - I think "creation" and "evolution" can actually be married. Who is to say what creation is? We've proof of evolutionary processes. The "God" part of the equation is the sticky point. Six days to create all of this? Pure nonsense !!! Anybody who believes that shouldn't be allowed to vote. But if there is a God and that God created things then who is to say what a "day" is to some force capable of creating the universe? I think the3 big "U" is 13.81 billion years old (they just added another 800 million years). We're lucky because we wound up in a re4latively quiet pocket in the Orion Spur residing in our galaxy's "Goldilocks" zone. Got a magnetic field, an axial tilt, tectonics and a large moon. All of which are necessary for us to happen. We're not the only planet to be graced like this. Just a matter of finding them or them finding us.

Personally, I believe in Brane Theory where our "Big Bang" was actually the "Big Bump" (branes colliding). I believe in physics and I believe if there is a force behind all of this then it manifests itself in physics - the Hand of God. As to God having human characteristics ... there are billions of intelligent species throughout the universe. God doesn't play favorites. God may very well be the manager of this universe among countless other universes in the multiverse (I believe in that). Heaven or Hell? I guess I'll find out one day as will each of us when our time arrives.

Keep up the good work with your daughter and my best to you and your family,

Zirc

[West of the Rockies]

Thanks for the well wishes... yeah, raising a child is a challenge in our rather toxic media stew.  We DO have Netflix and we do rent movies; but this allows us to carefully monitor what comes into the house.  Really, for me, a large part of what turned me off about TV were the hateful damn commercials.  My daughter reads like a fiend.  As a little girl, she was actually pretty crazy about old-time radio (especially Tarzan).  We have some tapes of a lot of the old stuff (1940's & 50's). 

I wouldn't say that I listen to Michael Savage.  That is an overstatement.  But I do check in a couple times a week and give a listen for five to twenty-five minutes (depending on my commute time).  I don't want to take anyone's word for it that person X is wrong and stupid.  I'll judge for myself, thank you very much. 

Very briefly, although I tend to run sort of agnostic, I was brought up Catholic and was an altar boy.  (Never encountered a weirdo priest, but some of those nuns were vicious!)  I agree with you that evolution does not necessarily preclude a creative entity in the universe. 

Hey, a bit of common ground!  As that NPR voice tells us (Keillor), "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." 

[Zircon]

Stories like that terrify the media. I wonder why no one among them has asked whether the suspects were fans of Django Unchained.

They probably are afraid of the answer they'd get.

[Eddie Coyle]

Stories like that terrify the media. I wonder why no one among them has asked whether the suspects were fans of Django Unchained.

          Same reason the Zodiac killer has been the subject of at least three movies(not including Dirty Harry) more than a dozen books....but the far deadlier, essentially concurrent Zebra killings are only known by hard core true crime aficionados or residents of the Bay Area over 45.

[Falkie2013]

          Same reason the Zodiac killer has been the subject of at least three movies(not including Dirty Harry) more than a dozen books....but the far deadlier, essentially concurrent Zebra killings are only known by hard core true crime aficionados or residents of the Bay Area over 45.

Just looked it up and didn't remember it was done by black militants.

A film was announced by Paramount supposedly starring Jamie Fox but nothing on it yet ( based on the book below ).

http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/the-zebra-killings-a-forgotten-hate/


The late Dean Dickensheet, Sherlockian, mystery editor and writer, covered Zodiac in his book below. His book was updated to cover the Zodiac killings.

Here's a link to the book on the Zebra killings. Both events left many in the Bay Area in fear of their lives, afraid to go out on the streets, day or nite. A S.F. Assemblyman, Art Agnos was one of the victims of the Zebra killers though he survived.

I recall the events well. I was a news vendor in the city and sold a hell of a lot of papers on both killings, but kept a wary eye out just in case. I did that on and off until 1980 until it got too dangerous to have night corners as vendors and drivers for the Chronicle were getting mugged, robbed and shot.

In retrospect, I wish I'd looked for a better job but those were simpler times. I made $ 56 a day plus tips and when the evening came, went to Giants night games with $ 7 box seats right behind home plate. when they also sucked. Rent was $ 100 a month, food was cheap and SF was the place to be exclusive of crazed killers. I also got work being an extra in films back then which would pay my rent for the month.


The Zebra Killings: A San francisco Crime tour

http://www.amazon.com/Zebra-Murders-Season-Killing-Madness/dp/B008SLYQA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364086269&sr=1-1&keywords=the+zebra+killings

http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Terrifyingly-random-Zebra-Murders-4116923.php

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/serial_killers/notorious/zodiac/river_1.html

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1867198_1867170_1867159,00.html

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/The-Zodiac-Killer-in-print-3308261.php


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[Eddie Coyle]

As for the 13-month old child murdered, that happened in my TV market, so it's a local story here.  So far, it hasn't been politicized.  I hope it stays that way.  But since the kids under arrest are black and the victims are white, there's always the potential.  Yesterday, the local CBS-TV affiliate played the interview with the mother of the child.  When they came back to the anchors, the female anchor was crying.  I don't think I've ever seen that.

           It will become a faceless narrative about "gun violence" without any examination into who is holding the gun. Or why 1% of the population of the USA is responsible for nearly 50% of violent crime(in Chicago it's 85%). Before I sound like a law and order Nixonite, I also believe gun manufacturers should be held as accomplices and subject to every imaginable legal avenue. Those satanic fucks are the root. These worthless savages that predominate America's urban shitholes could hardly create a sharpened stick with their brainpower and skills. But these goddamn guns keep flooding their neighborhoods. Even a moron can use them. And they do. Frequently.

         We've been the Balkans for a long time, we just can't face it. Will Obama make some reference to how De'Marquise Elkins could have been his son like he did with Trayvon Martin?Uh, no. Matter of fact, a week from now De'Marquise Elkins name will be as obscure as it was before the murder.
        Going back to the original post. This is why I favor abortion my any means...rusty, jagged soup cans will do, or calling Doc Marten. I wish Norplant was as readily available as Tums. Unfortunately, the bright people in our land tend to practice ZPG.

[Zircon]

           It will become a faceless narrative about "gun violence" without any examination into who is holding the gun. Or why 1% of the population of the USA is responsible for nearly 50% of violent crime(in Chicago it's 85%). Before I sound like a law and order Nixonite, I also believe gun manufacturers should be held as accomplices and subject to every imaginable legal avenue. Those satanic fucks are the root. These worthless savages that predominate America's urban shitholes could hardly create a sharpened stick with their brainpower and skills. But these goddamn guns keep flooding their neighborhoods. Even a moron can use them. And they do. Frequently.

         We've been the Balkans for a long time, we just can't face it. Will Obama make some reference to how De'Marquise Elkins could have been his son like he did with Trayvon Martin?Uh, no. Matter of fact, a week from now De'Marquise Elkins name will be as obscure as it was before the murder.
        Going back to the original post. This is why I favor abortion my any means...rusty, jagged soup cans will do, or calling Doc Marten. I wish Norplant was as readily available as Tums. Unfortunately, the bright people in our land tend to practice ZPG.

You're exactly right about the inner city and the 1% (might actually be higher within their community). Like yourself, I am waiting to see how our Great Leader weighs in on this. Might interfere with his sleep (i.e. Benghazi) or his next golf game so don't expect anything soon. I don't see the KKK planning a march or an invasion of any black community and we all know Chrisitans and the KKK are synonymous in the media's eye regarding white responses.

Check out rape cases if you want to see an even more drastic numbers difference. Black on white could be viewed as epidemic. No reports on this hit the airwaves as it is definitely not politically correct.

As to abortion I think the white population is not duplicating itself (less than 2 children per woman). With minorities they get a raise with each newborn. Muslims are popping out an average of 8 kids per woman. Our nation will be a Hispanic nation in less than 50 years. I'll bet "affirmative action" will still be in place even though the whites will be in the minority. So ZPG among the more intelligent, while a responsible thing, can be viewed as a slow genocide of sorts. Whereas playing like a rabbit is being practiced by those least able to afford more kids. Some will say I'm a racist by pointing out this simple fact. That just goes to show you how fucking dumbed down our population is. People have forgot how to add unless it is with a government welfare check.

[Zircon]

So, in keeping with my alarming posts, what, if any, opinions do any of you have regarding the murder of this 13 month old baby down in Georgia by the 17 year old? Or am I just being a race-baiting alarmist?

[PB the Deplorable]

... I think the white population is not duplicating itself (less than 2 children per woman). With minorities they get a raise with each newborn. Muslims are popping out an average of 8 kids per woman. Our nation will be a Hispanic nation in less than 50 years...

One thing humans tend to so is se current trends, then project them out.  As people reach middle class they realize they don't need all those kids and how expensive they are to raise.  And all the other things they could be doing with that money instead.   Trends change over time.  For example with this economic situation, my understanding is there are (were?) more Mexicans leaving the country than were coming in there for awhile, or maybe that's even continuing.

I do think any country has the right to determine who comes and who doesn't.  I don't think it's wrong for, say, France, to want to remain French.  I think the US should limit immigrants to those that are any 2 of the following 3:  young, educated, wealthy.  We don't need more poor, we don't need more old folks to come retire here on our Social Security.

[Zircon]

One thing humans tend to so is se current trends, then project them out.  As people reach middle class they realize they don't need all those kids and how expensive they are to raise.  And all the other things they could be doing with that money instead.   Trends change over time.  For example with this economic situation, my understanding is there are (were?) more Mexicans leaving the country than were coming in there for awhile, or maybe that's even continuing.

I do think any country has the right to determine who comes and who doesn't.  I don't think it's wrong for, say, France, to want to remain French.  I think the US should limit immigrants to those that are any 2 of the following 3:  young, educated, wealthy.  We don't need more poor, we don't need more old folks to come retire here on our Social Security.

Agreed. But in America the strategy is to gain the poor and uneducated and give them benefits in exchange for a vote. The young coming in are usually uneducated. The wealthy? Don't see too many of those as our tax structure is becoming more European in nature and punitive. The academic knowledge of our own domestic youth is being downgraded constantly to the point that hiring a non-English speaking "immigrant" is becoming a coin-toss with our own kids.

When I left Washington state a little over 11 years ago I sold my house to a Chinese woman working at Microsoft with a disabled sister and mother both on government assistance. The working woman and her family had been here only three years. Her sister is young enough to receive government aid for probably 50 years. Yes, the woman is working and paying taxes but the other two are definitely a drain as they speak broken English at best. How is it that she can come in with two non-producers in tow while I have to leave to find work elsewhere. Ask Bill Gates who is a complete ass hole not only in my book but many, many others.

[PB the Deplorable]

... The wealthy? ...

I'm not sayng people meeting 2 of those 3 qualifications would come, I'm just saying those are the only people we should let immigrate here.  We don't have a vast empty country in need of unskilled workers to fill anymore.  Not for a long time now.

Like that Chinese lady you mentioned - young and educated.  But the other two?  No.  We get one contributor and too many times they end up bringing in uneductaed unskilled relatives to suck up social services, and parents to retire here and get social security, food stamps, medicare, you name it.  How does that in any way benefit us, the owners of our country, the people paying for it?   String migration, where unskilled or elderly relatives of newcomers go to the front of the line should be ended.

Can't leave mom and pop back home?  Don't come.

In fact, maybe until we reach full employment again, absorb the immigrants we already have, and learn to tell the Moslems that want to kill us from the ones that want to come here for a better life  and assimulate, we should have a moratorium on nearly all immigration.

[West of the Rockies]

Don't know where else to put this observation, so my apologies if it's in a bad place.  I see David Shrum has decided to quit or at least go on hiatus over at The Daily Beast.  I enjoyed his writing.  I think he was a gentleman in a game that is rarely gentlemanly anymore (political punditry).  This former Bush speech writer was articulate and pretty candid.  I think he strove to at least try to examine issues with some eye towards basic honesty and fairness.  (I didn't always agree with him by any means, but then again, I never agree with everything that anyone writes -- including myself!)

Anyway, although Shrum was clearly conservative* and I am not, I appreciated his work.

* = I know some people will call him a RINO or a neo-con.  I don't wish to parse things out though.  He self-identified as a conservative, so that's what I'm going with.