Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

I saw that from a different source a couple days ago but it looked a little hokey so I didn't bring it up. That the Crown Prince supposedly said that on record seems highly unlikely to me. The HillTron 4000 does just fine raising money domestically but she does have a cozy relationship with the Saudis that I don't like.

Hack, any thoughts on this story's voracity? I first read it from a site called Mid East Eye that popped up in my Apple news feed.

[Mike]

Jeff, thanks for the responses. My angle aligns more with your post from earlier today re: preventing radicalization. IMO, that is the disease and terror attacks are the symptom. Once someone has it in their mind to commit an act like San Bernadino and Orlando they will be almost impossible to stop. Especially if they were born here and have a clean criminal history.

I don't have a problem with tightening restrictions on assault rifles but we live in a country with 350,000,000 privately owned firearms. No amount of incremental gun control will effectively eliminate or reduce a domestic terrorist from getting their hands on some. To prevent these guys from doing the work of Allah we need to cut the head off the snake.

[Da Geezer]

Stan: Fort Hood is a gun free zone, as are all military installations. Only MP's can have guns. This was a directive from Bush 41.

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/03/fort-hood-is-a-gun-free-zone/

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-owens-guns-military-facilities-20150717-story.html

Those are from CBS local and LA Times. There is a lot more about this issue on-line, but most is incendiary.

[Da Geezer]

Stan: Fort Hood is a gun free zone, as are all military installations. Only MP's can have guns. This was a directive from Bush 41.

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/03/fort-hood-is-a-gun-free-zone/

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-owens-guns-military-facilities-20150717-story.html

Those are from CBS local and LA Times. There is a lot more about this issue online, but most is incendiary.

[Da Geezer]

Hack said:

FFS. If I had a nickel for every time a person of faith told me how I ought to be living my life...

...and even better yet a quarter for every time one of them broke their own damn rules and acted like a shithead toward me based on the idea that I MIGHT do something that offends their code...

By any chance, did you ghost-write an editorial for the NY Times on Wednesday?

But, seriously, the context of what I said about progressives was:

What will happen is "the Constitution is a living document and...." Did Obamacare ever have support in the country as a whole? What has been the won/loss record of initiatives for legalizing gay marriage? What is the public support for transgendered persons using bathrooms based on identity?

We were talking about amending the Constitution, which would be the conservative way of going about the matter of gun-control. My point was that progressives are so conceited about the truth of their views that they will fly in the face of public opinion, the constitution, law, tradition, or common sense in order to achieve power. Tyranny by secular actors is no better than tyranny by religious actors.

[Ghengis Jon]

Here's an interesting set of stats based on data from 2014-15. 77% of all caucasian gun deaths are suicide. For the nation as a whole the number is 61%. So if we want to reduce death by firearms, perhaps we should legalize doctor assisted life termination. Sure, you're going to have still going to have your occasional bang-n-go, but I would think some wackos that take others with them might be identified before the event if they seek out a doctor. Even just one case out of a thousand would be a positive outcome.

Even more scary - 80% of all black gun related deaths are homicide.

[entropy]

Awful. I do love all the douches who think it's their spot to criticize the parents. Fuckin tools.

Agree. I saw one person going off on how a two yr old had no business being up on the beach a 9 pm. Disney, from what I read from others about that location, promotes watching movies on the beach as well as fireworks... At night.

I guess I would be a bad parent in some people's eyes because I would have believed "no swimming" meant no lifeguards. I would not have thought it meant gators are feet away as you hang out with your children at the a beach the resort encourages you to use. Guess I'd be labeled dumb.


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[CGVT]

My wife and inlaws took my kids to Disney when they were little. I have pictures of them playing on that same beach, at about the same time of night right by the water.

My wife never considered that they might be alligator bait. Had I been there, I wouldn't have considered it either.

[hack]

a well armed citizenry stands as a buffer against not only the potential for tyrannical government but from acts committed by crazies like Mateen

Are there examples of this? I do know that if the government WANTED to unleash its power on the citizenry, it would certainly have the resources to do so and easily crush any challenge. The government doesn't want to do so, and isn't a monolith anywyas. As for the latter -- you have the exceptional example of the folks on the plane on 9/11 that went down in PA, but how many examples have there been of terrorists gunned down in this way? How many do you think there would need to be before the cost/benefit analysis backs your point?

[hack]

My point was that progressives are so conceited about the truth of their views that they will fly in the face of public opinion, the constitution, law, tradition, or common sense in order to achieve power.

You're making it too easy. I aim to remain respectful, but, you know, there's a few points that have been made about religions, as a group, and their relationship with facts and common sense. Suffice it to say, people on both sides find some on the other to be smug know-it-alls.

[Prime2]

Agree. I saw one person going off on how a two yr old had no business being up on the beach a 9 pm. Disney, from what I read from others about that location, promotes watching movies on the beach as well as fireworks... At night.

I guess I would be a bad parent in some people's eyes because I would have believed "no swimming" meant no lifeguards. I would not have thought it meant gators are feet away as you hang out with your children at the a beach the resort encourages you to use. Guess I'd be labeled dumb.

Entropy, let me help you with this. I've stayed at the Grand Floridian countless times with the family and all our out-of-state relatives that need to do the Disney thing.

It a huge, beautiful hotel located on two massive lakes that are linked with flood canals. The hotel has proper large pools on site for swimming, the Seven Seas Lagoon lake water is full of algae, undesirable and strictly off limits for swimming.

Disney is in a ton of shit and will likely get sued for millions of dollars over this. The problem is that many tourists feed juvenile alligators off the beach and have done so for years, it's all part of the Magical Kingdom, where goldfish to gorillas have been personified in 100's of animated movies.

Disney has known about the danger and problem, was advised to build a sea wall. Watch it get built asap. They even rent all types of boats and encourage lake use.

There are 20 million people now living in prime alligator habitat, we usually have only a single fatality a year. Pets are often taken on water's edge in many communities. Florida Fish & Wildlife responds quickly and traps large gators that become a problem or threat.

In this particular case, the alligator wasn't waiting for 1/2 of your ham sandwich, he snatched a small child instead.

[hack]

I saw that from a different source a couple days ago but it looked a little hokey so I didn't bring it up. That the Crown Prince supposedly said that on record seems highly unlikely to me. The HillTron 4000 does just fine raising money domestically but she does have a cozy relationship with the Saudis that I don't like.

Hack, any thoughts on this story's voracity? I first read it from a site called Mid East Eye that popped up in my Apple news feed.

Just Googled it. Jordanian news agency claiming it was a hack. I agree that it's not something a Saudi crown prince would say to a journalist. But, either way I agree that HillTron 4000 is programmed for compatibility with the House of Saud anyways. zerohedge was once a great site. It's gone a little nutty. Wonder if it was sold to someone.

[hack]

The Clinton Foundation has dropped its self-imposed ban on collecting funds from foreign governments and is winning contributions at an accelerating rate, raising ethical questions as Hillary Clinton ramps up her expected bid for the presidency.

Recent donors include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Australia, Germany and a Canadian government agency promoting the Keystone XL pipeline. . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2015/02/18/foreign-donations-to-hillary-clintons-foundation-raise-major-ethical-questions/

[entropy]

Entropy, let me help you with this. I've stayed at the Grand Floridian countless times with the family and all our out-of-state relatives that need to do the Disney thing.

It a huge, beautiful hotel located on two massive lakes that are linked with flood canals. The hotel has proper large pools on site for swimming, the Seven Seas Lagoon lake water is full of algae, undesirable and strictly off limits for swimming.

Disney is in a ton of shit and will likely get sued for millions of dollars over this. The problem is that many tourists feed juvenile alligators off the beach and have done so for years, it's all part of the Magical Kingdom, where goldfish to gorillas have been personified in 100's of animated movies.

Disney has known about the danger and problem, was advised to build a sea wall. Watch it get built asap. They even rent all types of boats and encourage lake use.

There are 20 million people now living in prime alligator habitat, we usually have only a single fatality a year. Pets are often taken on water's edge in many communities. Florida Fish & Wildlife responds quickly and traps large gators that become a problem or threat.

In this particular case, the alligator wasn't waiting for 1/2 of your ham sandwich, he snatched a small child instead.

I get that gators are in Florida (and if fact are losing population in areas due to pythons). I would never go in a lake, pond, ditch, etc with water in Florida. In fact, I'd never go in the everglades period.

My expectation of Disney and their family friendly atmosphere is they would not encourage families to hang out feet away from them at night watching movies or fireworks. I guess it's na?ve to believe that, but Disney doesn't promote a an African Safari like vacation. They promote bringing your kids to enjoy the magic.

My wife went there a few years ago on work. Said they watched fireworks from the beach. She also said most in her group had their feet in the water as they sat along the shore. And as I said, many people are writing about how Disney encourages movie night as well..

I agree.. the wall will be built quickly or at least a net..

[entropy]

and yes.. I do realize they have an animal kingdom, but you don't go interacting with dangerous animals. They keep you at a distance. But they are still focused on the magic...