New York City Transit Workers Strike

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179241,00.html

"Meanwhile, transit workers took to the picket lines with signs that read "We Move NY. Respect Us!"

You want respect? Then either do your job, or quit and find a new job if you think you aren't paid enough.

What a bunch of fucking prima donnas.

Why is it that everyone thinks they are 'owed' respect? Respect speaks for itself. If you don't have it, you probably don't deserve it.

I can't even phathom the audacity to say to someone "Respect Me". You're pathetic just for saying it. One of the reasons people will respect you is if you respect yourself. And standing on a street corner with a sign saying "Respect Us" shows how pathetic you are. If you are willing to dishonor yourself by standing on a corner with a sign saying "respect us" you deserve none.

You want my respect? Do the job you are paid to do. If you don't like your pay, find a better job and resign your current. If you can't find a better job. NEWSFLASH: "YOU ARE BEING PROPERLY COMPENSATED"

I'll respect you if you quit your job because you marketed yourself and you found yourself a better job. I won't respect you if you walk off your job with all your lazy-ass union buddies and grind the city to a halt so that all the people who actually DO want to do their job today... Who DON'T have the luxury of a union contract... Who actually earn a salary on the open market without strong-arm tactics like unions use can't get to work.

If I was the Director of Operations for the NYC Transit authority I'd fire EVERY one of them and immediately for failure to report to work and start accepting applications. I'll bet there's MANY MANY MANY people who'd love a 55K salary to drive a bus and a fully funded pension at 62 to go along with it.

"Respect Us"?????????????????

Please...



FFHL

"Gotcha" politics and selective outrage

Report: Bush Authorized NSA Eavesdropping in U.S.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178893,00.html

Well, once again, I'm sure the democrats and Bush haters have found some ripe territory to attack Bush on. Really, I could give a shit less about Bush anymore. He failed me on every reason I voted for him except the Tax Cut. Social Security reform went nowhere. Government has grown... I digress...

But I have a feeling this issue is going to be HUGE "gotcha" politics for democrats and liberal news media. They'll eat this up.

So lets summarize. After 9/11 Bush probably authorized the NSA to eavesdrop on anyone they felt necessary to prevent another terrorist attack without a warrant. OK, fine. That 'ain't right' but I've got a beef with this kind of shit (imagine that) Here's Russ Feingold:

Russell Feingold, D-Wis., called it a "shocking revelation" that he said "ought to send a chill down the spine of every senator and every American."

Really Russell? A chill down the spine of every senator and every American...

Here's the crux of why I think this is such a load of crap...

If Americans want to be pissed off... If there is ANYTHING that should send a chill down the spine of Americans, this kind of thing should be LAST on the list.

How about the fact that our woefully lacking in accountability government has taxed us into oblivion so much so that of our total economic activity, government spending now has a 43% 'share' of total spending and Private sector 'share' 57% (before World War II it was around 12% government share and 88% private sector share)

How about the fact that we ALL have given up rights on a daily basis every time we fly with strip searches and pat downs, and shit that hasn't caught a SINGLE terrorist. NOT ONE!

How about the fact that there are still several states that IGNORE the constitution and the ULTRA important (according to the founding fathers) right to bear arms?

Yet these fucking politicians think that because the Bush Administration authorized the NSA to, without a warrant, spy on SELECTED people who they felt were a terrorist threat... NOW people should be outraged and have 'a chill running down their back'

Are you kidding me? Why now and not in light of all the other DAILY loss of freedoms and rights we put up with?

Why does Russ Feingold think that in light of the TONS of freedoms that most Americans bend over, grab their ankles, and allow the government to illegally and unconstitutionally take from us on a DAILY basis for NO GAIN... For NO measurable benefit on anyone's part. Why should allowing the NSA to spy on a few selected people who for all practical purposes were legitimate targets of surveillance get anyone's panties in a twist?

Especially in light of the fact that the reports indicate that this 'spying' PREVENTED ATTACKS!

Government officials credited the new program with uncovering several terrorist plots, including one by Iyman Faris, an Ohio trucker who pleaded guilty in 2003 to supporting Al Qaeda by planning to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, the report said.

In a nutshell... We all give up our freedom on a DAILY basis when we fly. Each and every one of us... And noone is outraged... But when a the NSA spies on some legitimate terrorist targets without a warrant there is outrage?

Get your head out of your ass America.

If the government is going to trounce on rights, I'd rather have them break the law to do it (like what might have happened here) then pass laws and regulations to MAKE IT LEGAL and do it anyway (like Democrats have done for the last 75 years)

I'm not here saying heads shouldn't roll on this one. If laws were broken let heads roll. But come on... Shit like that (that actually prevented an attack) deserves a "thank-you" as well.

This is like shooting a child molester on his way into court. The guy who shot the child molester should still get charged with murder. You just can't 'condone' vigilante activity... But as you are slapping the cuffs on the dude you say "job well done"

And as far as most people being outraged about this...

That would be like eating organic foods because you are worried about the possible but unproven cancer-causing effects of pesticides... Yet smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Its absurd to worry about one unless you are more worried about the other first.


FFHL

Friggen Idiot: Milwaukee Radio Commercial

So there is this gay-ass nonsense radio commercial running on Milwaukee Radio stations. Some selfish freedom-comprehension-lacking doctor is narrating the commercial telling us how he got lung cancer... But he's never smoked...

OOOOH no... He got lung cancer from second hand smoke.

He goes on to talk about the ills of second hand smoke and makes the following comments that make my skin crawl. Mostly because non-thinking idiots probably hear it and think "yeah, that makes sense".

This idiot says in the commercial: "You could change your social habits [to avoid second hand smoke] but WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE TO????"

"You could change jobs... But WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE TO????"

And he goes on to ask that you, the listening public please support smoke free workplaces. (translation: Please support taking away the rights of bar and business owners to decide what is allowed on their PRIVATE property)

Look... I can't fricken stand smoke. I hate it. And when someone is smoking around me I feel like shoving the cancer-stick up their nostril...

But I'll never support smoking bans in private places. And NEWSFLASH Mr. DOCTOR MAN (in the commercial) and any idiots who think he made sense...

Bars ARE PRIVATE PLACES. They are owned by private individuals. Telling Bar owners they must ban smoking IN THEIR PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENT is no different then telling them they can't smoke in their own house.

Noone hates smoke more then I do... But I'll fight smoking bans in private establishments til I'm blue in the face.

Same thing with 'workplaces'.... Whomever owns that company has a right to decide if people can smoke there or not.

So to answer this boneheads question "You could change your social habits, but why should you have to" Well you should change your social habits because just because you don't like smoke doesn't give you a right to tell anyone else what they can allow on their PRIVATE property.

I HOPE bar owners would choose to make their bars smoke free. I really do... But the choice is theirs. Not anyone elses but the person who owns the bar or owns the business.

Its easy to support rights and freedoms you utilize. The ones that benefit you. How hard will you fight for rights that don't 'benefit you'...

How hard will you fight for peoples right to do things that you don't like?

Freedom baby.. Embrace it!

FFHL

The Death Penalty and Justice

So lately there has been all this bullshit about granting Tookie Williams clemency because since he has been in prison he has turned his life around.

What a crock.

What else are you going to do in prison sitting on death row besides lift weights, exhaust your appeals, suck up taxpayer monies,and find God?

Sorry, call me insensitive, but I don't have much faith in people who have ANY kind of life-change AFTER they got caught for something. If Tookie Williams wasn't arrested and put in Jail 26 years ago, he'd have spent the remaining years of his life killing and doing all the things that gangs do. Finding redemption when you've been sitting in jail with NOTHING to do but think about ways to keep yourself from being executed does not represent a high degree of character. I'm skeptical of anyone who's motivation to do good was a result of being caught. If Tookie Williams had woken up 28 years ago, before the crimes he was arrested and convicted of had taken place and decided to change his life of his own free will, not because he was in jail, just because he had an epiphany. THAT demonstrates character.

But it raises a bigger question for me. Am I for the death penalty... No... I don't think I am. I don't think the death penalty serves 'justice'. I don't think anyone benefits from putting someone to death.

Here's my theory:

When you commit a crime... You don't owe a debt to society. You owe a debt TO YOUR VICTIMS.

No victim... No crime...

So when you steal from someone and are caught. You owe reparitions to the person you stole from. A court assigns a dollar value that you owe a victim (for the cost of their loss including monies to compensate for stress etc) You go to jail... A different kind of jail. A 'forced labor' prison where you work to pay off 2 things.. You work to pay off the cost of 'jailing' yourself and you work to pay reparitions to your victim. You don't get out of jail until BOTH are paid off.

Prison structure would be different. There would be some private enterprise integration to provide compensation based tasks for prisoners to do. Perhaps its diging ditches. Perhaps its stamping out license plates. Perhaps its some type of assebly. But prisoners would be forced to work. No work... No food... If they don't pay the assigned reparition to their victim. They stay in jail until they get motivated to do the work.

There would need to be special cases for certain types of crimes (again, judges would determine).. A person who is a threat to society (a serial killer who you would never want released) would have to work the rest of their life to pay reparitions to their victims families. Of course reparitions would be so high that they could never earn enough to do so... So in order to motivate them to work to pay what reparitions they could, they would again, not be fed unless they worked. Prisoners wouldn't be tortured or anything. Everything would be a choice for them. They work, they eat.. They don't work, they don't eat. They don't work, they get the heat shut off in their cell, or whatever.

Victims would get reparitions. Criminals who wanted to could motivate themselves to work TONS of hours and pay back their reparitions faster. You would make inmates who had a realistic shot of getting out accountable... And prisoners who we would not want to ever get out would not be a burden on society. They wouldn't be 'paying their debt to society' by making us law-abiding citizens pay taxes to feed and house them while they do nothing. They would be living a HARD life in prison paying to stay alive and feed themselves and paying to repay their victims. Believe me, prison would be a REAL deterent to your low-level criminals. (robbery, theft, etc)

FHL

My Theory Was Tested

Last week I wrote about our airways being safer not because of gestapo-like security checkpoints at airports but because as a flying public, we got a rude-awakeing and we because aware of the threat we face. (see Idiots and Airport Security Topic)

Case-in point:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,178407,00.html

"This guy just bolted. He screamed as he flew by here. He was heading for the cockpit," Crowley-Friendly said. "This fabulous stewardess just grabbed him by the collar and he screamed again."

Her husband, Andy Friendly, and three other passengers tackled him, she said.

Imagine that...

No Federal Air Marshalls to shoot the guy... Security searches at the airport didn't prevent the guy from charging the cockpit.

John Q. Public took care of the problem. Your average law-abiding citizen. Accomplishing something that BILLIONS of dollars of federal monies and freedom-raping practicies couldn't prevent.

FHL

Federal Air Marshall Shooting

Been thinking about the Federal Air Marshall shooting in Florida.

Most of all I think its a tragedy. Its a shame an innocent person was killed.

I did pause to think about the fact that they shot a guy who was pretty much isolated in a jet-way. But the truth is... Wether or not he said he had a bomb. I think thats irrelevant. Mentally disturbed people are probably among the most dangerous. You just never know what they might do.

When you exhibit behavior like this guy did... You never know what he's capable of. The Air Marshall in my opinion were right on to follow him off the plane. Not so much because he exhibited terrorist behavior.. But because he was obviously disturbed. (reference my original point that you never know what a mentally disturbed person might do)

When a law enforcement officer asks you to show your hands/put your hands on your head/whatever because you have exhibited some irrational and inordinate behavior... You are very likely going to get shot if you reach in a bag. Plain and simple.

I don't care if the guy said he had a bomb. He was acting erratic. He was at gun point and he was probably being told to drop his bag or to put his hands on his head. IF he reached in the bag. (and I have no reason to think the FAM's would shoot ANYONE just because they could) If this dude reached in a bag. I'd have pulled the trigger too.

On the good side... I think its GREAT PR for terrorist to take notice. FAM's are out there and they shoot to kill.

Just like I think EVERY news story about a lady walking along who gets attacked by some punk criminal pulls out a gun and shoots the scumbag has a deterent value to other criminals who might think twice not knowing who may have the capacity to fight back... As unfortunate it is that this guy couldn't have been subdued peaceably... What a GREAT signal to terrorists that FAM's are on flights and they have guns, and they are enabled to kill people who pose a threat.

Anyway... For as much as I support the FAM's in my personal analyzation of the situation. It makes my skin crawl when I hear people make comments of careless disregard for the tragedy of the mentally disturbed person being killed. Even though the FAM's were in all likelyhood justified and acting properly for their training. Its sad that a person who was not acting in a sane capacity was killed.

FHL

Donald Trump, stick a sock in it...

So I caught a snippet of 'The Apprentice' from last week.

Beyond the couple dozen or so reasons why I find this show annoying and about as far from reality as possible...

Is anyone else sick of hearing Celebrities say shit that you KNOW they don't really belive or 'live' in their own life?

Donald Trump saved the most priceless lesson for last: giving back to society is the ultimate success. As 'The Apprentice' candidates battle to raise money for these worthy causes, you can do your part by donating to the charities as well. Contributing to the greater good is the most fulfilling reward, and life is the bottom line

I'm SURE Donald really believes that giving back to society is the ultimate success. Get real...

I wonder if he made up that line of bullshit or one of the writers.

Several beefs here:

Celebrities seem to think 'showing up' or 'lending their name' to a cause counts as 'charity work'. I think not.

A celebrity showing up at an event does not constitute a charitable act in my mind. All the people who showed up to SEE the celebrity are the only ones being 'charitable'.

So when some ego-hole celebrity says they raise a million dollars for charity... Bullshit... The people who paid to see them did.

As far as I'm concerned a celebrity showing up for a free diner, after having been flown in on a chartered jet that someone paid for for him, and then shuttled him to the event in a free limo. The celebrity deserves no credit at all. The people who paid money to see him/her do.

One step up from that are the celebrities that actually give a chunk of change. I give them credit. (especially the ones that do it quietly, rather then make their charitable contribution nothing more then a PR expenditure) I've seen some celebs write some BIG checks for Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami etc. Although really... Lets be honest... Beyond the PR value/motivation most of these celebs have run out of things to spend their money on, and them throwing a cool half-mil at a charity is easy for them compared to the average joe sending in a couple hundred. The difference. The average Joe probably had to sacrifice another purchase or want to send in their couple hundred. The celeb can still buy anything they want even after forking a couple hundred grand over.

Isn't it disengenuous for a billionaire (The Donald) (barf) to be telling or asking ANYONE else to contribute to a cause? Once again... Using your celebrity power to get OTHER people to send in money doesn't count as charity... Nor is it 'giving back to society' Of course I'm sure they think it is.

Hell, celebs get free dinners everywhere they go. Celebs are the biggest freeloaders in the world. The people who can afford it most.. Get most for free. Why am I not suprised they feel guilty.

So a word to all the celebrities out there. Asking someone else to donate money is not charity on your part. It is not "giving back to society".

If you want to give back to society, how about you support a conservative/libertarian politician who wants to return freedom and control over ones monies to the private sector, not the federal and state government. If you want to give back to society, use YOUR power and influence to support candidates who would give the AVERAGE person BACK their power instead of supporting candidates who want to raise taxes and take more of the average citizens money to support things you rich celebs feel compelled to embrace. Take the side of the person who doesn't have every need fulfilled because of their millions and who doesn't want anything from anyone except the efficacy to be able to see their own labor be more profitable without the siphoning of taxes off the top.

Idiots and Airport Security

Hearing on the news and reading today that the TSA is going to allow scissors and tools on airplanes again. (link to article on Foxnews.com)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,177410,00.html

All I can say is its about f'n time.

Of course you've got the pussy-ass idiots who are playing the scaredy-cat game (quote from the article)

"On Sept. 11, we witnessed the devastation and death that can be perpetrated onboard a plane with commonly-used items like boxcutters, and TSA wisely took action to ban such sharp objects. Now is not the time to overturn this ban, since we know that Al Qaeda continues to put passenger plans near the top of its terrorist target list,"

Rather then rape peoples right to privacy with illegal gestapo-type searches at airports before you can board a commercial airline. How about this for common sense.

1. We were safer from hijacking on September 12th 2001... Before ANY freedom raping security procedures were put in place at airports. We were safer because before Sept. 11th. We had a society of complacency. A society of "attrition". For years we had been told by news media and law enforcement to "comply" to "not try to be a hero".

For years we had seen terroristst that only wanted hostages. We had been lulled into a belief that if you just 'do what they want' noone gets hurt, and they get their television time, and then you get to go home.

There was an awakening on Sept 11th. In fact that awakening started on Flight 93. The only hijacked flight to NOT hit its intended target. The people on that flight were made aware by cell phones etc what happened to the other planes, and the people on that flight decided it was time to be hero's (actually they just probably wanted to live) and try to take back the plane. "Lets Roll"

I assert that no wack-job would ever make it anywhere near the cockpit of a plane anymore. They'd be jumped by passengers before they ever got close because our population got a rude awakening on September 11th.

We were made safer instantly by our knowledge, and our awareness of the new reality.

2. My second point is that if you DID want to take additional measures to protect the safety of flights. Confiscating tweezers and nail files and scissors from law-abiding citizens is a pathetic feel-good-accomplish-nothing measure. REAL security would be to put locks on the cockpit doors. And to my knowledge, this has been done.

3. Pilots with guns. Trained to use them. I don't think this needs any explanation.

So there you have it. We CAN be as safe as we possibly can be (without taking away civil liberties) because of our new awareness, and because of taking common sense measures that in no way encroach on civil liberties.

It doesn't take a 1.5 billion dollar a year tax on air travel... It doesn't take freedom infringing body searches at airports... It doesn't take the lost productivity and loss of convenience of air travel for millions of people who waste HOURS and HOURS of their time standing in security lines over the course of a year.

It just takes a little common sense. So to the idiots who are crying about screwdrivers and scissors and nail files being allowed on plains again. Get your head out of your ass.

And to whomever initiated this more common sense move at the TSA or wherever. Its about time. Good start...

fhl

I wonder if this dude is a liberal?

http://www.freespiritspheres.com/


Looks cool as hell. I just wonder if they'd sell one to a conservative NRA member. I have a feeling birkenstocks and granola and a green party membership card are required.

Although in the faq section they do mention they could be used for hunting. hmmm