Guard Dog

I say forget the turrets. Put one of these in every school. Roosevelt Academy in Maryland had one

There are not many hard and fast rules in economics. But this is one of them: All costs are ultimately paid by the consumer. Any action that increases the cost of producing a product raises the price of the product and hurts the consumer of the product. You'd think a man with a business background would have a better grasp on a concept like that.

How deep does his stupidity go? Well... sounds like it's time to get out of the stock market again.

Hmmm.... First AND Second Amendment protection.... GENIUS!

Putting new amenities in the Oakland Coliseum is like putting up new window treatments in a haunted house. https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/03/01/as-to-debut-the-treehouse-at-oakland-coliseum/

Not from my perspective Pidesco. Chill we DON’T have a black and white spectrum. That would actually be an improvement. At least then there is something to contrast.

What have I been saying? Democrats = Republicans, Republicans = Democrats. I'd say we need a third political party in this country but really we need a second one.

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-dianne-feinstein-erupt-with-glee-after-trump-seems-to-endorse-her-assault-weapons-ban/ You all know where I stand on Gun Control. But this notion of concealed carry reciprocity needs to stop. I despise the notion of Big Brother telling law abiding citizens their private property which 99.99% has used responsibly, is now illegal. And I despise the notion of state governments telling law abiding citizens they must forego self defense and entrust their lives to the forbearance of people who respect no law and no morality. But every bit as much as those two I despise the federal government telling states how to run their business. The issuance and enforcement of concealed carry permits is a state matter and no one, especially not Uncle Sam, can tell the government and voters of a state how their state should be governed. As I have said in the past (and Gromnir has said a few posts ago) the whole notion of banning "assault weapons" is specious and based entirely on cosmetic distinctions made by people who do not know s--t about firearms. Banning them does nothing other than make the expensive property of otherwise law abiding people illegal. And at LEAST 3/4 will not give them up. There is an understandable desire to do "something" in the wake of the two most recent events. And there are a few somethings that can be done. Raising the age of rifle purchases to the same has handguns (21) makes sense. I would definitely make a distinction between "purchase" and "ownership". It CAN be legal to own them without being legal to buy them. That protects weapons already owned as well as inheritance and gifts. Banning bump stocks and other accessories is a measured enough response I guess. I don't have a strong feeling about it one way or another. There are already numerous state laws that ban or limit the use of some accessories.

Almost forgot. My WS pick is Yankees over Nats in 5.

This is it. Spring Training is in full swing and the season begins in exactly 30 days. I'd say it's going to be a good year but the Marlins have flat out burned down the house and urinated on the ashes and the Rays... that is a mystery. On the surface it sounds like a complete tear down. But there is a lot of talent there. The AAA Durham Bulls have won the AAA National Championship 3 times in a row and a lot of those guys will be in St, Pete this year. I think this team may sneak up on some folks. Anyway. Congrats once again the the Brisbane Bandits for winning the Australian League Championships for the third straight season. The Caguas Criollos of Puerto Rico won the Caribbean Series. So, my predictions for this season: NL East: Washington Nationals: Enjoy it Nats, this is your last shot at the ring. New York Mets: Good enough for 2nd place... but not that good Atlanta Braves: They will push the Nats in the early season but lack of depth will tell come mid-summer. They are still a year away. Philadelphia Phillies: This is a tough young team. Experience gained this season will pay dividends next year. Miami Marlins: Damn..... AL Central: Chicago Cubs: Best all around team in the division. Adding Darvish was a coup. Milwaukee Brewers: They are a pitcher away from getting over the hump. St. Louis Cardinals: Good but not great in any area. But they will make noise. Pittsburgh Pirates: The are not rebuilding after trading McCutcheon & Cole. More like re-tooling. But they won't contend. Cincinnati Reds: Getting better but not enough AL West: Los Angeles Dodgers: This will be the best division in the Majors this year. The Dodgers have the most talent and will win but it will be close. Arizona Diamondbacks: Good offense, solid pitching. They don't have any real weaknesses. San Francisco Giants: They didn't get younger but barring injuries the Giants are good enough to content for the WC with Arizona, Milwaukee, and the Cardinals. Colorado Rockies: Their window is closing after this season. They are good, but not good enough in this division. San Diego Padres: Still a year away AL East: New York Yankees: Yeah.... no one is catching them in this division Boston Red Sox: Should keep it interesting Toronto Blue Jays: Smells like an 81-81 year to me Tampa Bay Rays: Total mystery what this team will do. Baltimore Orioles: What's going one here guys? Is there a plan? AL Central: Cleveland Indians: Best all around team in the AL. Minnesota Twins: Improved rotation will have them contending. Chicago White Sox: This team will be a BEAST, next year Kansas City Royals: Sellers at the deadline Detroit Tigers: Rebuilding year 2 AL West: Houston Astros: The road to October runs through Houston. Los Angeles Angels: Good for 5 more wins than last season Oakland A's: Good young core coming up. This is my sleeper team Texas Rangers: Pitching is a problem Seattle Mariners: Time to rebuild

Pfft, he started the 2020 campaign almost immediately after inauguration, including all the trappings of a campaign. Though it was in part to pay for his legal bills (which is kind of scammy if you ask me). Practically the embodiment of the eternal campaigning that US poilitics has gotten into. That is hardly unusual. But coming out and saying it is. I wonder what a Primary challenge will look like and who will sign up for it. It does not matter. There are only two Republicans left I have a shred of respect for and neither is named Donald Trump. No matter who iit is (unless it;s one of those two) I'm not voting for the Republican candidate.

It's official. Trump is in for 2020: https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/politics/brad-parscale-donald-trump-2020/index.html No one has ever announced this far from an election. I guess that means something. Not sure what. But something.

That made me curious so I looked up France's war record. Good God they are a quarrelsome lot. The French/Franks/Gauls/etc. have been in a LOT of wars these last 4000 years! As for how good they were at it... win some lose some

„want“ seems like a very socially driven instinct to me As a noun maybe. As a verb (in English at least in Deutsche I believe they are two separate words) want is the epitome of self.

I'd say yes there are, but they are rare. There are people that delight in the misery of other people. That find enjoyment in sadism (the real kind not the kinky kind) and that do harm or worse to others purely for their own pleasure. If that isn't evil I don't know what is. Maybe that bastard in Parkland isn't irredeemably evil. I certainly don't think he should be executed. But we certainly don't want him among us anymore. What he did, he did because he wanted to. No one compelled him.

I don't see how Woyzeck could be seen as innocent by anyone. Yeah he's has some s----y things happen. Having your wife cheat on you is bad. Getting you ass kicked by the man she's cheating with is worse. But when he pulled a knife on her he wasn't doing it because "society" forced him. He did because he was selfish. His anger and his humiliation meant more to him than her life. He left his own child an orphan because he was selfish. Some might call that tragic. For the wife and child certainly. But for Woyzeck? F--k him. Same thing with the Parkland shooter. Yes he had been dealt a s-----y hand. The only people who loved him apparently passed away.The people at the school were not nice to him. He was an altogether sympathetic figure until he took a rifle to a school and shot 17 people, 16 of which he didn't even know. Society didn't make him do it. He did because he was selfish SOB and he's gonna go show them! F--k him.

Ben I was more referring to the social pressures rather than academic pressures. But you do bring up an interesting point. However, the world we live in is an outcome driven machine. I don't know any other way to quantify a student's understanding of a subject other than testing with a result that counts. How else do they demonstrate they have mastered a subject? We could dump the graduated grading system for a simple Pass or Fail grading system I guess? It would serve the same purpose. OK, right here you went completely off the rails. Shooting people who are not at present harming you or yours IS just evil. There is only one reason that justifies the use of deadly force, the defense of self, family, home against an imminent threat. Even the play you cited as an example, the protagonist created his own downfall. He murder's his wife because she cheated on him. It's been done a million times and not once was there any virtue or sympathy in it. There is one obligation we all have to each other. Just one. And the obligation is not to batsht crazy and kill your fellow humans.

Forget licensing guns, you should have to take a training course and get a license to have a kid!

Well, that was meant to be more sarcastic than factual

:LOL, I didn't realize Ben was quoting in the first paragraph. All I could think is "OK who's got Ben's password?" Now then, on to what brings me here today. I'm not going to dive into the minutia of gun control and stuff. It's been done to death. We all know where we stand and no one is budging. We were having a conversation about the student perpetrated school shooting at work this morning and our department head (who is the smartest person in any room she walks into IMO) brought up a point. All of the students who did this had something in common: they were socially isolated and were not well treated, and often bullied, by their peers. Her take on it is the lesson to be learned here is for kids to treat each other with kindness and respect. That treating the kids that "don't fit in" with inclusion, friendliness, and respect will go a long way to alleviating social isolation. I have to say she has a point. The problem is kids are nasty little S.O.B.s by nature. To change that would be the undertaking of a generation or more. Humans often don't treat each other well. When you get to adulthood it's a little better. People are not naturally friendly but they are usually polite. Not talking about online... that's a whole other thing. I am certain teaching kids to treat each other with kindness and respect might actually help. "Do unto others as you would have done unto you"... I'm certain I've read that somewhere. But I'm pretty sure that book is banned from schools, more is the pity. On thing about her idea, it costs nothing, takes freedom and property from no one, and might help kids turn into better adults. If you think about it, the firearms have always been there. And they used to be a LOT easier to get. But school mass shootings, by students in particular, is new. It does beg the questions "What has changed?"

A little bit of good news: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/the-libertarian-party-is-officially-major-party-in-n-m/article_e6a43f4a-8687-5760-84cb-32e4dd0b709b.html

I am deeply embarrassed at how long it took me to get that. I saw it, didn't understand it, went into the kitchen to get a drink, and busted out laughing.

Oh my God enough about the "Russian interference". The big evil plot was to have trolls makes fake memes and videos on social media and sell bogus info to stupid politicians. Hats off to them for getting paid for it at least. American political hacks have been doing it for free like a bunch of schmucks. If our electoral process is so easily subverted we might as well all go out and hang ourselves now. I mean really, who believes anything they read on the internet these days anyway? Except Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump I mean.

Gromnir you mistake the target of my outrage on this one. Yes, I beat the drums hard on the specter of what follows gun control. Sometimes so hard the drumstick breaks. Prohibition and confiscation is far from imminent but also far from impossible at some point far down the line. One of the best ways to avoid ever going there is to fight like a mad mongoose every step of the way. But, as you said, the outrage here has nothing to do with the gun control debate. You bring up the point the illogical application of zero tolerance. No argument here. But I'm more outraged by the root cause of it. This insane politically driven groupthink that is now threatening this kids future. There is no doubt in my mind the each and every individual teacher/school administrator who will review this case and pass whatever punishment they are going to hand him thinks that it is stupid to punish him over this. But they are going to do it anyway because not one of them will argue against it. The fact it's gone this far is shocking. Seeing someone who has done nothing other than make an offhand comment about a math symbol sacrificed in the name of... hell I don't even know what you'd call this... should just sicken everyone. This isn't even about violating rights. It's about doing something everyone knows is wrong and unjust, but still doing it anyway. It's some kind of collective madness going on not just in schools and taken to this extreme turns the whole notion into something else. It's like PC is some angry volcano god that demands society throw someone in the volcano every week. So everyone does it but each and every one KNOWS there is no angry volcano god even as they throw someone in.

We've always had that. This bastard: He is 100% responsible. Not the AR-15. Not Deputy Peterson. Not the BSO for not following up on tips and complaints. Not the FBI for the inability to locate a person posting online using their own name. Not Donald Trump, not the NRA, not the gun store, not Rick Scott, nobody is to blame except this bastard whose name I will not dignify by typing. Although you'd never know it watching the news.