Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
- The terrorists win, chapter six bazillion.
- Oregon Supreme Court says state must prove reliability of drug dogs. More of this, please.
- Excellent dressing down of Norm Ornstein, one of Washington’s loathesome, self-appointed Wise Old White Men.
- Chicago public school bans students from bringing their own lunches.
- Would His Honor like a sandwich? Study: Hungry judges less likely to grant parole.
- Nassau County, NY: Don’t worry about all those crime lab mistakes. We’ll pay for retesting evidence with money from the secret police forfeiture fund. Oh, I guess you didn’t know about the police department’s secret forfeiture fund. Well we can’t tell you anything more. That’s why it’s secret.
- John McCain lashes out at the Goldwater Institute for trying to prevent yet more corporate welfare for a professional sports team. It might be time for a loved to sit John McCain down on a comfortable couch and showed him some warm-hued brochures depicting happy-looking communities with names like “Sunset Valley” and “Dusky Pines”.
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TheAgitator.com
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman agrees with McCain that the world is out of joint when people can second-guess the political class: “It fascinates me that whoever is running the Goldwater Institute can substitute their judgment for that of the Glendale City Council.”
Fuck you Bettman, you arrogant smug shit.
A small correction to the George Will piece. The proposal from the city of Glendale to basically give large sums of money to a private individual to buy and run the team isn’t socialism. It’s classic crony capitalism.
Socialism would be if Glendale bought the team outright, which of course the NHL would never allow.
“# Oregon Supreme Court says state must prove reliability of drug dogs.”
Drug dogs are nearly 100% reliable. If you want to circumvent the 4th
Amendment, and rummage through someone’s shit, they’re the more reliable method.
I really wanted that kid to start screaming “stranger danger!” at the TSA agent. Its so depressing that this is where the country is today. Groped in air ports, forced to buy school (government) lunches in schools that are run like prisons, kids today have it rough. It appears that the powers that be are doing everything they can to condition the next generation for the the coming police state. And they’re starting on them young.
Someone in the youtube video says the TSA is drug testing the child. Is there any evidence that is actually happening?
I’ve had that “testing for explosives” strip run over me a hundred times, but never a “testing for drugs”. Something smells fishy here.
“I’ve had that “testing for explosives” strip run over me a hundred times, but never a “testing for drugs”. Something smells fishy here.”
Enjoy this rare glimpse into the mindlessness of the whole fucking charade.
The takedown of Norm Ornstein is classic.
I am also appreciative of Don McGahn’s mea culpa in admitting that the FEC actions were unconstitutional.
“It fascinates me that whoever is running the Goldwater Institute can substitute their judgment for that of the Glendale City Council.”
Hmm, whose judgment to trust? On one hand, we have a bunch of presumably smart people working for a group that specifically works on analyzing public policy. On the other hand, we have a bunch of yahoos whose biggest claim to fame is getting enough of their neighbors, who they don’t really know, to like them better than some other guy they don’t really know.
The school lunch article could have come from The Onion a few years ago. That periodical is a crystal ball.
It is long past time for the government to get out of the business of telling people how to eat. The low-fat-high-starch-and-sugar food pyramid has been a disaster for everyone except growers of corn and wheat and soy, and manufacturers of processed foods containing them. And school lunches are generally starchy, sugary, fattening swill. Check out the guidelines:
“Whole grain”–usually mostly white flour with a little fiber and brown food coloring added.
“Lowfat dressings and mayonnaise”–loaded with sugar and starch
“at least one vegetable”–potatoes count as a vegetable so that usually means french fries or tater tots.
John McCain’s problem isn’t that he’s old. It’s that he’s a politician. Plenty of politicians who are decades from retirement age do these sorts of rotten things. Getting rid of the older ones by death or retirement won’t solve the myriad problems of abuse of power.
I’m not sure what Ornstein’s melanin content has to do with his awfulness. Seems unnecessary to mention that.
Also, that picture of the ‘food’ at the school that wants to force kids to eat school lunches only looks like the cafeteria ladies already partially digested it (if you click through from the linked article). “Enchilada” my foot.
And I am still amazed at the idea that the poorest people we have are well-off enough that they can be obese. No, it might not be the food that some snooty know-it-all in a government office thinks is best for them, but it’s obviously enough to provide them with enough basic resources to live. It really should prod people into rethinking the whole idea of ‘poor’ and poverty when the struggle for basic living is so trivialized that people are getting fat.
Regarding that school and those lunches; That principal reminds me (somehow) of the poor fool of an ed-school graduate who told my father in a parent-teacher conference that “after all, you aren’t an education professional”. My father was, at the time, some twenty years into his career as a Professor of the History of Science and Technology. I didn’t get to see the doubtless CLASSIC scorching he gave her for her empty-headed presumption – I wasn’t there and only heard the rumbles of the aftershocks – but I do know that it involved his marching her down to the principal’s office for her dressing-down, and that she treated me for the rest of that year with the respect one normally accords a live grenade.
I believe she transferred after that year. I sometimes wonder if she ever recovered.
*snerk*
Regarding the TSA; i think we should remember at all times that there was never any actual need for this agency. It rapidly became clear that in the aftermath of 9/.11 any terrorist who tried anything on a flight with any significant number of American passengers was going to be stored in the overhead luggage compartment in somewhat used condition. But there is a drastic difference between an actual need and a political necessity. It was not politically possible, in the hysteria loose among the Political Class, to not “do something” about “airline security”. And like most things that are politically necessary, but realistically worthless, the TSA has been nothing but embarrassment and trouble. It is time to make our would-be political masters admit that the American People can take rather better care of themselves than the State can take of them.
omar, take a step back and realize that you are looking for sources on a youtube comment. :)
I haven’t heard of actual drug “tests” for kids, but they are frequently frisked and expelled from school over headache, allergy, pain, ADD/ADHD, and asthma medication. Radley has reported on a few exceptional cases here, but I’m sure only the most egregious examples get reported on with far more mundane instances staying under the radar.
So I’m assuming hyperbole on the part of the commenter, but reality isn’t that much better. No ones sticking kids with needles and running bloodwork, yet.
The original RFP for the testing strips the TSA uses in these explosives tests also stated that they should be able to handle spot-tests for drugs as well. The TSA claims, however, that the “machines are not calibrated to test for narcotics”. See http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/02/what-happens-if-my-hands-alarm-during.html
I’ve just recently come around to this realization, and while I don’t think it’s a complete disaster, I do think folks need to look around and realize that the high carb diets are primarily the driver of obesity. Since they’ve been pushing that food pyramid (even the revised version with the whole grains etc), people just get bigger and bigger, even as they try harder and harder to eat better.
And in addition to your list, don’t forget that milk (which was usually chocolate 2% or 4% milk when I was in school), fruits, and even the entrees are big sources of more carbs: Pizza, hamburger and hot dog buns, Macaroni and other pastas, sandwiches, etc.
$400million for a terrible hockey team in Arizona that is worth about $125 million. You really can’t put a number on civic pride. THIS is how easy it is to get rich in government. Imagine the money for shit people actually care about.
It is a good thing McCain is very old. He won’t like where the young folks are going with questioning authority and speaking out of turn.
C.S.P., I was having a disagreement with my parents last week about the complete uselessness of the TSA, and finally got at least the concession that the clowns harassing people and bombarding them with radiation aren’t doing anything useful. But the rejoinder was “Well, there’s important stuff you don’t see that they’re doing.” My response of “Well, if that’s important, but this other stuff isn’t, then why are they doing this unimportant stuff and wasting everyone’s time, money, and dignity?” The conversation got turned to a different subject. I didn’t even get to mention the thefts and invasion of privacy of having bags searched out of your view.
Warren Meyer, currently a writer for Forbes, has been on the Arizona hockey team for weeks at his coyoteblog.com (and he is quoted by George Will).
Clarification: Meyer has been covering the Arizona hockey team debacle, not on the team itself.
@Yizmo Gizmo | April 12th, 2011 at 10:00 am
You said that “Drug dogs are nearly 100% reliable.” That’s a great deal of data that says that drug dogs are nowhere near 100% reliable.
The substantial error in using dogs are drug indicators is a matter of record and study, but for sake of discussion a well-trained dog being correct only 88.5% is not uncommon. See http://www.wisspd.org/html/training/ProgMaterials/Conf2006/CDDS/CDDS.pdf
The comment about drug testing the child was off camera in the video. Please don’t take it that I’m defending these gloved monsters playing security Kabuki – But I don’t want to level unsubstantiated accusations when there are enough reasons to hate everything these people do. Anti-hackism if you will. I just want to know if they are actually testing for drugs.
Someone who is not me may enjoy flying a little higher than thirty thousand feet.
#16–Highway–agreed, school lunches are just crap all around. In addition all the starches and sugars fuel a lot of farts during afternoon classes.
Its pretty much impossible for schools to provide lunches that are healthy and satiating, yet also cheap and portable and easy to prepare en masse. Can’t be done. Protein and quality fats (saturated and mono) and fresh produce cost a lot more than cheap carbs and do not last as long.
Highway you touch on a problem I frequently come across: People have such amazing faith in government.
I was trying to talk to my uncle about the terrible things the CIA has done over the past half century; how they had they’ve had their hands in Korea, Guatamaula, Afgahnistan, Iran, Iraq, (and now possibly Libya) and their association with people like Pinochet, Hussein, and Osama bin Laden. How their general unaccountability and love of covert action has severally damaged US favor abroad, and frequently undermines our foreign policy goals.
My uncle maintained that “yeah their failures are public, but you don’t know about all the stuff they’ve done that has saved this country that we will never find out about.” It just baffled me, why wouldn’t we know about it? I’m pretty sure if the CIA intercepted a nuke being smuggled into the country during the Cold War, we would have found out about it as soon as a politician thought it was safe to make political hay with the knowledge. When all the evidence points to a massive screw-up and all the assurances are kept in the dark, what reason is there to believe the organization is anything other than a screw up?
He buys into this popular narrative of the spy game. That someone somewhere has near omniscient knowledge of whats going on in the world and working to stop terrible things from happening. Its the same basic thing with the TSA, people are willing to ignore the gropings, the invasion of privacy, the mistreatment and everything else if they believe that somewhere terrorists are getting pulled out of the line and thrown in jail. Even when there is no evidence of the latter happening.
They refuse to believe that the government is capable of doing something so monstrous and pointless.
omar, I must have spaced and didn’t here the drug search comment in the video (or see it in the video title, apparently), I thought you were talking about youtube comments on the video.
I don’t know what kind of drug “test” they could do in an airport. Just the wand I suppose. Or maybe the TSA agent was talking out of their ass, it wouldn’t be the first time. That part wasn’t shown so its anyone’s guess.
@ capn_amurka April 12th, 2011 at 11:24 am
You misunderstand Yizmo Gizmo’s post. He’s saying that drug dogs are near 100% reliable IF your goal is to bypass the 4th amendment and do a warrantless search. NOT that they are reliable at actually finding drugs.
re: The TSA and drug testing:
See my post above @#15. The test isn’t drug testing the girl; it’s testing for drug residue on clothing/hands (similar to what a police officer would do in the field). The RFP that the TSA put out years ago for the testing strips included a requirement that the strips be able to do spot tests for drugs. The strips are likely as reliable as other drug field tests, i.e. not at all.
The TSA denies that it does so, and that while the strips can be used to spot-test for drugs, the machines aren’t calibrated to do so. Considering that I don’t believe a word the TSA says, I’m reasonably sure they’re doing drug tests.
Fuck the TSA. Terrorists Standing Around. Had run in with them last week at Harrisburg, PA. Told me removing my belt was required. (I’ve never been required to remove my belt at ANY other airport.) I told them I refused to disrobe in public. They went fucking ballistic. Called LE (who was complete asshole) because I pointed at one of the TSA agents and accused her to threatening me. (Oh no, that man pointed!!!). Was threatened with refusal to let me board. I told them no problem, I’d be more than happy to go back home and go back to bed. Nope, can’t do that either. Asshole cop says “I’m agitated” and he has to notify airlines. I told him to make it clear to them the only one “agitating” me was him. And again, told everyone within earshot that I was more than happy to leave.
My return flight from IAH, no belt removal requirement. Flew out of BWI the following Saturday, again, no belt removal requirement. Return flight to BWI from Cleveland, no belt removal requirement. (as is normal). The fuckwads make it up as they go along. And when you protest, or point out the discrepancies, YOU, the traveler are the problem. Fuck them. I’m done. This past weekend’s trip to Cleveland was my last flight. If I can’t drive or take the train, I ain’t going.
I want to go to China to visit my sister next year. My plan was to take Air Canada from BWI. Now I think I’ll drive to Toronto and fly from there.
WRT to the TSA, check out Thoreau’s story at Unqualified Offerings of what happened to his mother when she was checked before boarding:
http://highclearing.com/index.php/archives/2011/04/10/12784#comments
For real.
i remember during the Olympics they were interviewing him during a game for some reason, and he said that what we were watching was “NHL Hockey, with NHL rules” and blah blah people love NHL hockey and only NHL hockey. It was such bullshit. He resisted international rules on the center line for a decade, still hasn’t adopted the no touch-up icing, and has that stupid fucking trapezoid that handcuffs goalies (actually just one goalie, really).
The announcers didn’t call him on his shit, either, of course.
See, I would say “Yeah, my kid has an allergy… in fact, my whole family has an allergic reaction to despotic authoritarianism.”
Cheers.
I see I’m not the only Devils fan here.
I always turn off the TV or radio before the shootout. There’s nothing wrong with ties.
As for the relevance to today’s morning links, hasn’t Gary Bettman been trying to keep Jim Balsillies (sp?) from buying the Coyotes and moving them to Hamilton? (Quebec and Winnipeg need their teams back, too.)
@mark r: I actually am waiting to see if the trapezoid is suddenly eliminated (in what I’m sure would be just a coincidence) after Brodeur eventually retires.
Bettman’s the most despicable commissioner in sports. Can’t wait to see him go.
As for Chicago: The (pre-)school my daughter’s going to be entering in the fall has a specific list of foods that are “acceptable” for lunches brought into school. It’s the healthy stuff I would’ve given her anyways, of course. Seems a bit more reasonable than requiring school-purchased meals. But that doesn’t get kickback $ into the principal’s pocket.
McCain might want to go to Dupont, WA, just west of Fort Lewis, and check out Patriot’s Landing. It tends to get kind of cold and socked in, though.
#23 gooses observation! If they could just find a way to harness those farts, rubbing hands together in menacing fashion….
Substitute good for gooses. Please kill this keyboard with fire!
Re: School lunches: It’s Chicago, dollars to doughnuts the principal is getting a kickback from the food service based on the number of inedible (and subsidized) lunches he can coerce his students into buying.
The last time I heard anything about compulsory school lunches, it was part of Tony Head’s plan to take over the universe in an episode of Doctor Who.
Gary Bettman, trying to ruin hockey and saying stupid things? Must be Tuesday.
The man also used his influence against moving the Coyotes to Hamilton, Ontario. It’s apparently an unwritten, very stupid part of the league charter that on one will move a second or third team to Toronto. The largest metropolis of the most hockey-crazy country on earth has one team. Southern California has two NHL teams and Toronto has one.
From the drug dog article:
Well crap. The bottom 2 paragraphs were supposed to be outside the blockquote. Sorry.
Would have been better.
I think Omar (upthread) makes a legit point about what appears to be either a staged, manipulated, or sensationalized to make it more outrageous. Not only is the “drug test” comment (both in the video and in the title) unsubstantiated, but their is something fishy about the child’s voice. The voice is clear as a bell despite the girl being off camera early in the video and at a greater distance than the people just off-camera left and right during her frisking. Either the audio was dubbed in after the fact or (less likely) she was mic’d in hopes of something like this happening.
Now, as Omar said, none of this is meant to defend the TSA. Rather, there is more than enough legitimate criticism of the TSA that there is no reason to fabricate any. All that does is draw attention away from the real issues, if you ask me.
On a semi-related note, on Friday I was going through airport security and completely brain farted and forgot to do the whole “3 ounces or less in a clear plastic bag” nonsense. I simply had my regular toiletry bag in my carry on. I quickly thought of what I should do and instead just decided, “What the F… Just go with it.” I went through without a second look. Either they’ve quietly (or not so quietly and I’m just out of it) changed the rules or some of their workers decided to go on government shutdown a few hours earlier. Amazing that they can be so lax in one area and so absurdly stringent in another.
BSK, it’s been determined that half the time the TSA screeners miss obvious guns/bombs/knives/etc. Odds are that if you put what you want to take on the plane in your carry on and run it through, they won’t catch it.
Of course, if they do catch it, then I disavow all knowledge of your actions.
RE: #43:
I actually do this all the time. I leave the clear baggie with the liquids in my bag as it goes through the x-ray. So far, nothing has ever happend. I guess they don’t want to waste their time having me go back and disrupt the line. But don’t go around telling this to everyone, or we’ll soon have a a memo telling the agents to never tolerate this and opportunistic politicians calling for federal charges against those who do.
Blatant rudeness and lack of concern is something I ALWAYS expect from government employees. I suspect it is because most of them are assholes before they go to work for government, plus they know it is almost impossible to be fired from a government job, regardless how they behave on the job. If they had a lick of common sense, and the least amount of sensitivity to the plight of their fellow human beings in the first place, they would NEVER apply for a government job.