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May 27, 2015

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Thomas Collins

Off topic! Suspend me! But I must share this with the other Mass JOMers. Good Time Charlie Flaherty's son is in trouble (from State House News).

"STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, MAY 27, 2015....A two-time candidate for state Senate and the son of former Massachusetts House Speaker Charles Flaherty has been indicted on federal witness tampering charges after he allegedly paid the victim of a possible civil rights offense to refuse to testify against his client. Timothy Flaherty, 50, of Cambridge, was charged by U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz on Wednesday for allegedly giving the victim of a hate crime $2,500 in cash to not cooperate with state and federal authorities in their investigation. Flaherty, a Boston attorney, was representing a client in Cambridge District Court who had been charged with assaulting the victim and yelling, "You little Muslim...you f***ing terrorist." After his client's arraignment on Dec. 15, 2015, Flaherty contacted the victim to apologize on behalf of his client and offered between $1,000 and $2,000 to drop the case, according to the indictment. Days later, Flaherty delivered an envelope with $2,500 in cash to the victim and instructions to ignore contact from law enforcement and to call him if the victim was ever subpoenaed, the indictment said."
Thomas Collins

From the article TM linked.

"Some experts questioned whether the data requirements went too far. Peter Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer who is an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said officers were already overburdened with paperwork. He said requiring documentation of every instance in which a gun leaves its holster — a fairly common occurrence in some high-crime areas — could discourage officers from pulling out their weapons even in justifiable situations and possibly result in the disciplining of good officers who forget to fill out forms."

Isn't it more likely that police officers will be reluctant to put themselves in positions where they can be second guessed, and that this reluctance will result in more people being harmed by the thugs?

Thomas Collins

Who knew that the first AA POTUS is really David Dinkins in disguise?

Eric in Boise

I know for a fact that made up data is just as good as actual data. How? Because study after study has proven this.

clarice

More cops will be killed in Cleveland as a result of this nonsense.

James D.

I'm going to be in the minority on this, but I don't have a problem with stricter standards for police behavior, and accountability.

For example:

The new rules in Cleveland prohibit officers from using force against people for talking back or as punishment for running away.

What disturbs me is the idea that this needed to be spelled out. Yes, they deal with the dregs of society, and yes, I can imagine that it is emptionally draining and horribly stressful. But no matter how stressed you are, you don't get to beat the crap out of somebody because they insulted you.

And police do not, and should not, have the right to punish anyone. That is not their job. They are not judge or jury.

Consider it this way: if you or I would be charged with a crime for doing something, then the police can't be allowed to do it with impunity, and they can't use the difficulty or stress of their jobs as an excuse, any more than we would be permitted to do so.

Extraneus

The police will simply reduce their interactions with the criminal element, leaving those in high-crime areas to fend for themselves.

clarice

http://www.onionstudios.com/videos/boys-tragic-death-could-have-happened-to-any-family-with-20-foot-pet-python-1350

jimmyk

Yes, Clarice, I was about to fix TC's quote:

...could discourage officers from pulling out their weapons even in justifiable situations and possibly result in their violent deaths at the hands of criminals the disciplining of good officers who forget to fill out forms."
James D.

Or let me ask it another way. As a question of policy, if you ahd to pick from these two bad outcomes, which one would you pick:

A policeman is injured or killed by a criminal because rules/policies forbade him from acting aggressively.

An innocent citizen is injured or killed by a policeman because the officer acted too aggressively, as allowed by rules/policies.

I would choose to err on the side of the former.

NKonChrome

Ext-- already happened in Balt, and shootings are up in NYC thanks to Mayor Bane's orders to cops to stop questioning people who look like known bangers. There's a word for this, no?

Extraneus

I agree with James, too. Lots of police are assholes who shouldn't be on the job, but when the pendulum swings too far against cops in general, crime goes up.

jimmyk

James D., I understand your point, but the NYT using the word "punishment" doesn't make it so. If a cop is lawfully detaining someone, and that person runs away, what is the cop supposed to do, just say "Please stop"? It's not punishment for the cop to chase him down and tackle him.

jimmyk

I would choose to err on the side of the former.

The end result of too much of the former will be more of the latter.

Again, not disagreeing with you and Ext about some cops being a**holes, but let's punish them and get them off the force, not make good cops fill out forms in triplicate every time they pull out their guns.

daddy

“We carefully gassed up for 90 miles,” McElveen said. “And we had 110 to go.”

That might explain it.

3 rescued after plane runs out of fuel, crashes in Lake Clark area

Thomas Collins

James D., I think the emphasis will be on second guessing the cops, not improving the training. In other words, it will be exactly the opposite of what might improve the situation (namely, focusing on an enhanced martial arts type regimen that will reduce the chances of the type of "I'm pissed off so I'm going to beat you" situation you are describing, but foregoing the increased bookkeeping).

Thomas Collins

The first time I was stopped by a cop, I was 16, and the offense was going 40 in a 25 mile per hour zone. As the cop was writing me up, another car whizzed by. Cop sneered at me, "He was going a lot faster than you were." My respect for the Providence police vanished at that moment.

I realize I am not describing a situation in which a cop was beating someone up. But unless that Providence cop was a one off, better training would go a long way towards addressing the issue of cop misbehavior (unless one thinks that an enhanced disciplined, martial arts type approach would flunk out too many of the police academy attendees).

Jeff Dobbs

“I think anything is open to some level of manipulation,”

GUYS I SAID KEEP THE BRADY STUFF ON THE FRIDAY THREAD!!

(i don't know why today is a shouting day, but whaddyagonnado?)

captain*arizona

The court of last resort for white america is the supreme court the court of last resort of black america is the street! The black community is much more powerful today then when the black panthers were formed in 1968. with the Also the white liberal establishment is losing its battle with the NRA to keep urban black areas disarmed except for criminals who help keep the ghetto under control of the establishment.

Thomas Collins

The problem, Jeff, is that so much of PSI File reflects existence. Crafty crony capitalists trying to one up each other. Overpaid leader of a trade association. Underlings getting the shaft. Arrogant winner. Envious losers. Golden boy with the tarnishing image. Tough in the trenches business manager whose arrogance sets him up for sniping, whether he is on to Cincinnati or on to a news conference on gas physics. Sloppy bookkeeping. Failure to keep track of measuring devices. Trips to the john. Just thank Gaia that there has been no charge that a Patriots cheerleader deflated balls by nuzzling it with one of her . . . assets. Try to keep that ensuing discussion on one thread! :-)

Threadkiller



Dodge: Senator Cruz Replies To Article II Eligibility Question; Obama Claimed Three Hometowns!?

Read more at http://www.birtherreport.com/2015/05/dodge-senator-cruz-replies-to-article.html

Fudging

Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki

So is Cap'n Arizona a crazed lefty or a crazed libertarian?

Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki

--Just thank Gaia that there has been no charge that a Patriots cheerleader deflated balls by nuzzling it with one of her . . . assets.--

Thank Gaia?
I'd actually read that thread.

Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki

Despite being slapped down by SCOTUS at least twice previously; the EPA is back again attempting to take over all waters that might conceivably feed into "navigable waters".

Why don't they just put in an order for ten thousand brown shirts and be done with it?

jimmyk

a crazed lefty or a crazed libertarian

Don't know, don't care, he's into the narcisolator wood chipper.

Jeff Dobbs

Paulian.

narciso

they really have gone 'full San Angeles' with the Cleveland settlement,

James D.

Again, not disagreeing with you and Ext about some cops being a**holes, but let's punish them and get them off the force, not make good cops fill out forms in triplicate every time they pull out their guns.

Agreed. But that requires the police to really and truly police themselves. It requires the good cops to be willing to go after the bad ones. And it requires prosecutors and judges to cooperate as well.

My problem with cops is very simple. They are human beings. They are subject to human nature, to covering their own asses, protecting their friends, succumbing to pressure and anger, cutting corners, to giving in to "us vs. them" mentality.

Just like everyone else is. That's the problem. But they have guns and tasers and license to use them, and they are given a lot of leeway by their peers, their superiors, the justice system, and, often, by the rest of us. And that's what leads to abuses.

It's not that I think cops are worse than anyone else. It's just that I don't think they're necessarily any better...but they have power and are given deference that the rest of us aren't.

And I guess my general feeling is, the more power you have over your fellow citizens, the higher standard you need to be held to, the more oversight should be put on you, the tougher the penalties should be when you abuse that power. Because otherwise, the rest of us aren't citizens, we're slaves.

narciso

point taken, but the civil rights division, which forced this settlement, as Christian Adams has repeatedly pointed out, those who are least likely to show any discretion in the overview of police,

Extraneus

It's hard to understand how none of those cops in Cleveland were found to be at fault for killing an unarmed man and woman due to their own story about a car back-firing.

Obviously, things might have ended differently if there wasn't a high-speed chase, but when was the last time anyone heard a car back-fire?

Extraneus

For Porchlight:

Islamists & ISIS Supporters Blame Infidel Muhammad Cartoon Contest for Texas Flooding

NKonChrome

jimmyk-- a gift from Mayor Bane and the Lefty City Counsel to you and yours:
http://nypost.com/2015/05/26/youre-45-more-likely-to-be-murdered-in-de-blasios-manhattan/

NKonChrome

Rand Paul is a fucking idiot and disgrace: http://hotair.com/archives/2015/05/27/rand-paul-lets-face-it-republican-hawks-created-isis/

daddy on iPad

I don't know if I'm happier that my personal data has been stolen by IRS Hacker's, by Anthem Health Hacker's, by Target Store Credit card Hacker's, or by JPMorgan/Chase Hacker's.

I felt OK when the Russian's hacked my Financial acounts at JPMorgan, cause who among us doesn't understand how tough it must be for a Russian thug these days to make a decent dishonest buck in Putin's Russia. Plus I like Tolstoy.

Then I felt good when the Chinese hacked Anthem and got all my personal data. As you guys know I drink a lot of beer in China and have a lot of cute girlfriends over there, and it's always a problem trying to figure out how much to tip them, so them now having the ability to sell my personal info and bleed bucks from my accounts ensures that if I mistakenly under-tip, they have a convenient way now to get the proper amount of cash that I should have left them in the first place.

I was also excited when ourTargetcard and personal info was hacked by the Mexicans. This way they can just rip me off from South of The Border and I won't have to pay their food, housing, and court costs to come over here and vote for Hillery. Sounds like a win-win to me, and now nobody can accuse me of being a Racist against La Raza.

So all well and good, but who had I left out of this Kumbaya equation?

Americans, that's who.

Here I was doing my fair share for every international gangster on the planet, but I hadn't been doing a single thing to help our homegrown American Criminal Class (Excepting Congress).

Well now that my accounts and info at the IRS have been successfully hacked to the tune of Milions by American Hacker's, I feel I have now done my patriotic duty on the home front. God Bless America! As Michelle Obama famously said, "Finally, I'm no longer ashamed of my country?"

T'is comforting to know this Memorial Day week that our crooks are still as good as any crooks on the planet, and maybe even better.

maryrosee

Ext
Anyone in a high speed chase cannot guarantee they will be alive. e at its conclusion

NKonChrome

And fat-assed Hilligula pushed the lie about the video at Andrews AFB in front of flag draped coffins and that bastard Powell played along. That whole lying crew should die in a fire: http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2015/05/27/confirmed-the-state-department-knew-benghazi-was-terrorism-immediately-n2004495?utm_source=BreakingOnTownhallWidget_4&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=BreakingOnTownhall

Extraneus

Well, full disclosure, I've been in a high speed chase which ended up with me safe and sound in my girlfriend's backyard between the house and pool. If I thought I would be shot 137 times if I were caught, I might have acted differently!

maryrosee

Why were the police chasing you

Extraneus

I don't remember, but I was clearly not at fault.

Threadkiller

Anchor/cry baby loses a fight:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) criticized Paul's foreign policy statements in a 6-tweet tweetstorm earlier in the day. Doug Stafford, a senior Paul campaign adviser, responded by noting Jindal "cratered his own state's economy."

In the statement issued to Business Insider, Stafford also accused Jindal of flip-flopping on various issues, including his support for Paul's policy positions. 

"It's ironic Gov Jindal would level such a charge when he flip-flops on crucial issues like common core and national security, and he has cratered his own state's economy and budget. Just last week, Gov. Jindal spoke out in support of Sen. Paul and announced he now opposes the NSA’s illegal and unnecessary domestic bulk data collection, after previously cheerleading for it," Stafford said

http://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-spent-the-day-fighting-over-isis-2015-5

The 100% is slipping away...

NKonChrome

Rand Paul is a fucking idiot.Stafford should kill himself. Worse than Obama.

Jane

Hi from SC - almost Georgia. The toughest thing about driving 700 miles today is how much my heel hurt, oh and the fact that instead of grabbing the water bottle I thought I filled with grey goose, I took the one with salt vinegar and water.

So what did I miss?

Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki

Daddy's 6:50 is inspired.

narciso

why couldn't they say something like this,

'in retrospect, we underestimated the social instability in Iraq, the problem was not merely Saddam, but the Baathist infrastructure that enabled his atrocities, that even now make up
the core of the Islamic state,

the administration's indescriminate use of surveilance, UAVs, and other tools, makes us wary to trust them with any additional authority,

Jeff Dobbs

Jane:
So what did I miss?

ME!!! You came within a couple hours of me today.

Harrumph!

NKonChrome

RandPaul won't say something rational like that, because he's a fucking idiot.

rse

Jane- over a year ago son had to get up to nc and either 85 or 20 to 95 worked. I remembered 85 was in rough shape north of charlotte. So I helpfully directed him the I-30 route. Forgetting it was Masters Sunday.

Luckily anyone with a ticket had gotten there early, but had he gotten hung up I would have been sacked as a mom.

Wave at Savannah as you go by. All State chorus used to be held there. You could stop and do a Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tour.

narciso

well I mean for the other candidates, the way national security matters have been handled, using the Iraq example, starting with the Medici, stepping into a rake, ala Sideshow bob, was dissapointing,

Jeff Dobbs

Heh, good line, Ace:

England is basically an ISIS outpost with some past connection to the Beatles.

Threadkiller

Speaking of idiots:

...it may be a violation of the Louisiana State Constitution’s ban on using public funds to urge the vote for or against a candidate, in this case Rand Paul for U.S. President.

http://thehayride.com/2015/05/bobby-jindal-attacks-rand-paul-violates-the-louisiana-constitution-in-the-process/

Jane

I waved Hit - for so long my arm hurts.

Jim Miller

This comment really belongs on Jeff's beer post, but I didn't get around to it while that post was active. There's a local "craft" beer that I won't even try. You'll understand why when you see the label.

When I wrote about that in August 2012, my mild post drew some negative reactions from leftists at Sound Politics. As you can see, all i said was that I wouldn't drink beers from that company, but for some even that was too much.

(As you'll notice, they moved the picture on me. I suppose I should fix that some time.)

And what beers do I drink? I've found that I like Alaskan Amber, Black Butte Porter, and, of course, Pilsner Urquell, though the latter tends to be rather expensive, and not as fresh as I'd like, around here.

Jack is Back

Jane,

We ae off exit 289 on I-95. 3 miles to the beach. The club is open for lunch. Perfecrt place to stop. I will email details.

daddy

So what did I miss?

Me being in Sturbridge in a couple weeks. What the hell are you doing in Florida?

Jack is Back

daddy,

Me too in 3 weeks. BTW, when in OZ do you ever get to any OZ Football games? I am a big fan. When they come to Irealand play at Aviva they play a coimbo of Irish and Oz football. Very entertaining.

narciso

he suffers from two much 'on the other hand' ism,

http://20committee.com/2015/05/26/a-brief-intelligence-reality-check/

clearly our 'so called allies' put the AQ hydra together, out of either innatention, or enemy action

narciso

came across this one, in the local library:

http://edkovacs.com/the-russian-bride/

daddy

Jim Miller,

When I arrived at my new billet at Sand Point Naval Station in Seattle on 2nd of May 1984, 13:00 hours, I was not the happiest boy on the planet, but that era being the "Dawn of the Age of MicroBrews", I rapidly became a fan of Hale's Ale which ultimately made my stint in your town a decent one.

I just recall Hale's Ale. I do not recall their Red Menace offering, but I suspect it will do very well in the U district.

BTW, I was proud of having recruited 2 of the young bartenders from FX McCrory's and 1 of the bartenders from Jake O'Shaughnessy's for US Navy Flight Training.

I am sad that Jake's is long gone:(

Jane on Ipad

I'll be back in a couple of weeks Daddy. You damn well better not be kidding!

Dave (in MA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2015/05/27/boston-2024-report-highlights-need-for-public.html

Despite the fact that Boston 2024 has said all along that they won't be looking for public money, their bid was based on exactly that.

narciso

that is my shocked face, dave,

when the apocalypse comes, we know who to blame:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/baltimore-insider-blog/bal-marilyn-mosby-prosecutor-in-freddie-gray-case-made-her-first-public-court-appearance-on-judge-judy-20150527-story.html

Jane on Ipad

Ahhh the party gets bigger! JIB Frederick needs to go to Sturbridge Village. Let me know the date and I'll see if Amy's kids are available.

I'm stopping nowhere until I get to Port Charlotte this time Jib. But I'm available for lunch daily in a couple of months.

daddy

when in OZ do you ever get to any OZ Football games?

Jack,

I do not because our layovers are always so brief down there. I love watching OZ football on tube, but we rarely get more than 36 hours on deck, and most of the time it's only 24 hours, so it's really only time to hit the ground running for chow, brews, and slumber, then next morning walks to the park or a museum or 2, then off to Manila or China. I pull for the Collingwood Magpie's, since their uniforms are the easiest to remember:)

Johns_Creek_Bill

RSE,

I loved having All State in Savannah. Although it is a long drive it is a great walking town. A great excuse to take a couple of days off from work.

What chorus was your daughter in this year. Mine was a first soprano in the all girls high school chorus.

Jim Miller

daddy - As far as I know, the "Red Menace" is a relatively recent offering. Hales had always been on my have-to-try-some-of-those some time, until I ran across that in the supermarket.

You'd probably be disappointed by what has happened to Sand Point, since it got turned over to Seattle, which is not much.

(For those nat familiar with the area, I'll just add that Sand Point would make any real estate agent smile, just thinking of all the profitable things that could be done with all that lake shore.)

narciso

of course, the journolist is still a mystery to them:

https://twitter.com/Will_Antonin/status/603394137224773632

sbw

punishment for running away.

So will they be issuing lariats to police?

Jeff Dobbs

Jane - when you go back are you driving back - or is this trip to drop off the car and you're flying back?

If driving - I have a potential offer to make. I'll email...

narciso

an interesting way to look at this:

https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/603698728835350530

clarice

"Daddy's 6:50 is inspired." I SECOND IG'S OBSERVATION.

Jane on Ipad

Driving Hit. ( like I could leave my car! How would I get to the grocery store?)

Miss Marple

So, if you can't shoot at a fleeing suspect who has been ordered to stop, then really, unless you can run fast or have dogs with you, the suspect is going to get away.

And what if it's a murderer or rapist or terrorist?

I am probably not a good person to talk about this. My sister-in-law's brother was shot and killed with a shotgun by a guy who was causing a public disturbance. Shot him pointblank through the screen door.

And he is now out of prison, because he was a teacher and had influential students.

So I think I will just pass this discussion by.

Nytol.

Jane on Ipad

Has Porch checked in since the storm?

Miss Marple

Forgot to include that he was a cop.

daddy

You damn well better not be kidding!

I do what momma tells me, Jane. So far she tells me I'll have a rent-a-car in Dartmouth for about a week in early June.

Thomas Collins

Porchlight is fine, Jane. She has checked in on the Brady thread several times, and is in fine form.

Jeff Dobbs

Yes - Porch has checked in. She's spent some time over on the Friday Brady thread.

Jane on Ipad

Oh how fun!

Tc start organizing. I'll be back on Wednesday
,

Thomas Collins

Where are you going, Jane?

Jeff Dobbs

That's too soon, Jane. I was proposing you stopping for an evening with us at a neighbor's lake house. But we won't be there for another two weekends...

But maybe on your way back down.........

Gentlejim

Many of the comments here about what cops should and shouldn't be allowed to do show a lot of ignorance.
That's the only comment I'll make on the subject.

maryrosee

Jane
You are making good time
We leave Friday for as my nephew calls it Hotlanta
Will let you know when we hit the hotel
Our plane lands at 530
People have told us traffic can be a challenge on a Friday afternoon
So excited that the Cavs won
Our first championship in ages

sbw

Sturbridge might be close enough for me if the timing is right and you have an extra place at the table. I need to expand my facial recognition beyond JiB and jimmyk.

maryrosee

Last comment was for the Georgia people

Jane on Ipad

I closed on my FL house last week TC. I'm going down to see it.

maryrosee

Gentle him
You don't have to answer or talk about it but if you have a relative in law enforcement I support police and the hardships they endure to keep us safe

narciso

you never go full vizzini:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/27/the-right-wing-war-on-lena-dunham.html

Thomas Collins

Congratulations, Jane!

Porchlight

Thanks, Jane, for the concern. Everything's pretty much back to normal in Austin but other areas are not so lucky.

The ISIS comments about the Texas floods will be roundly denounced by the left any minute now, just like when the Kooky Khristians say stuff like that, right?

Porchlight

Jane, I have a really terrific Florida cookbook to send you. I know it will be awhile, but holler when you're settled in.

narciso

you can here the crickets from here, can't ya porch,

matt

I spent the day today first addressing and then training on mental health response with our local first responders. The subject of the conference was crisis response with the mentally ill. There is a lot of work going on in our county in this field.

One of the issues is suicide by cop. The others ranged from what they see in the ER's, which have become de facto mental health facilities in many cases; how to work towards better outcomes, and finding resources when in crisis.

One has to remember that by the time law enforcement or the paramedics get involved it has blown up to a much more serious level where the incident is out of control.

The average street cop in our suburban county sees between 4-6 mental health calls per week. They range from encounters with the homeless to attempted suicide to schizophrenic meltdowns and beyond.

The problem is growing out of control. It is societal and is illness, just as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer are. It is much harder to work with because every single case is different and there are no blood tests or other rapid diagnoses.

There a lot of very dedicated, good people in our first response community, and that is true all over the country.

I would spit on Obama and Sharpton and the agitators if I could. They don't have a clue and are a bunch of race baiters.

Jim Miller

Porchlight - I just put up a small post on a mostly-unused service of my local library. I'd be interested to know if you have seen similar examples.

narciso

true, matt, plus there is another element, from Sanford to Ferguson to North Charleston, just to cite three examples, they seem to be celebrating folks, who don't have the sense to come out of the rain as heroes,

narciso

anything else to say, Musket Norgan

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3099167/PIERS-MORGAN-Blatter-Thanks-America-finally-taking-corrupt-poisonous-toad-FIFA-s-sucking-life-football-years.html

Jeff Dobbs

Beasts is traveling - but when he gets back, this just went up on the FB page of my buddy the GM at Foreign Cars Italia:


narciso

you can barely see it:

http://www.gtspirit.com/2015/02/03/official-2015-ferrari-488-gtb/

Jim Miller

For our legal beagles, an update on the Troy Kelley case: As you no doubt recall, he's our state auditor, now on leave, who has been indicted for stealing, and for cheating on federal taxes.

Now the feds are raising questions about the $908,307 "retainer" that he has given to Davis Wright Tremaine, saying it may be stolen money.

narciso

just full facepalm, you would think he would keep the loot, apart from his rainy day fund,

http://twitchy.com/2015/05/27/smoking-crack-and-tweeting-legal-mind-chris-cuomo-beclowns-himself-yet-again/

narciso

he was already at full nazgul, isn't the New America foundation, proud of their charge,


http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/27/left-wing-writer-max-blumenthal-helped-craft-hillarys-youtube-video-benghazi-explanation/

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Wilson/Plame