In other words, if you're caught carrying a concealed pistol on the street and don't have a permit, tell the cop you're walking between your car and your home, either getting ready to travel somewhere or coming home. The burden now falls on the police officer to prove you are not really "traveling," which Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins says is virtually impossible.First of all, no it doesn't. The Motorist Protection Law clearly states that one must be "inside of or directly en route to a motor vehicle that is owned by the person or under the person's control." I think most police officers can tell if you are "directly en route" to your car or not. If you're busted with a gun halfway across town from your car, it's going to be pretty obvious. It also means that you can't leave your car with the gun for any reason other than to go to "the person's own premises or premises under the person's control." That means you can't take your gun into Wal-Mart under the Motorist Protection Law. You can only have your gun in your car as you drive there.
"If you read the new statute, it essentially does away with the concealed handgun law," Watkins says. As of September 1, his office no longer accepted most UCW (unlawfully carrying a weapon) charges that involved the "traveling" issue and dismissed pending cases.
"Actually we didn't really have a choice," Watkins says. "The law had changed, and some of the individuals could have fallen under the old statute, but it would be an unfair standard if we prosecuted them. And it's impossible now for us to prove those charges when we get them. Now it makes it the responsibility of the state to disprove that a person is on their way to or from their car, and that's pretty difficult to prove. It does a disservice to law enforcement. They have to prove this person was not on their way to somewhere. Why should they even bother [to arrest them]? I see it as a possibility for a lot of individuals with criminal intent to be carrying weapons."
The change has some police officers grumbling.
"It's insane," says one Dallas officer, who asked not to be named. "They basically destroyed the concealed gun law. We're letting drug dealers with Glocks under the seat go and say have a nice day. In the past we could have charged them at least with a weapons violation and confiscated the gun. Texas is wide open now. It's a huge story. This has just gone under everyone's radar."
The ramifications will take a while to percolate through the system. But the bottom line is: "If you've got a car," says a Dallas officer, "you can carry a gun."And what's wrong with that? As far as I care, if you're not conspiring to commit a crime, you can carry a gun. Whether you have a car or not.
Waterspout, a small helicopter that can take off underwater from a submarine, has been designed by students at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and the University of Pennsylvania. The joint team of students have won first prize in a US helicopter design competition.
A wildly interesting story about the eventual division of mankind into two species by the year 3000 caught my eye over the weekend. The story originally published by the Daily Mail authored by Niall Firth on October 26, 2007 provided astounding predictions for the future of mankind. It was also given a top position in the American news index Drudgereport. The Daily Mail story has graphic displays of the evolution of mankind and film clips of the classic work by H.G. Wells, The Time Machine.The Mainstream Media: is there anything you can't trust them to screw up?
Further, the story piqued my interest because the sources cited were from the eminent London School of Economics. Specifically, a professor, Oliver Curry who received his PHD from the London School of Economics. His dissertation concerns Morality as Natural History: An adaptationist account of ethics, published in 2005. In essence Professor Curry interests are about values and attitudes and where do they come from.
[...]
In response to the press releases mentioned in the Daily Mail article, Dr. Curry released the following explanation on October 17, 2007.
"In the summer of 2006 I was commissioned by Bravo Television to write an essay on the future of human evolution. The essay was intended as a science fiction way of illustrating some aspects of evolutionary theory."
"Bravo then sent out a press release on the essay, but did not release the essay itself. As a result, a wildly distorted version of what I had written ended up being reported as science fact in the media. I do not endorse the content of these media reports."
[...]
In essence Dr. Curry was asked to write a fictional account of what if and make some projections about some 1,000 years in the future for an episode of a popularized series on Bravo. He never intended that his Essay for Bravo be presented as scientific evidence. An examination of the quotes made in the Daily Mail article referring to a report confuses the peer review research he is conducting and an entertaining essay he never intended to have published as scientific evidence. His words and work are taken out of context.
Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has seen a UFO, writes Shirley MacLaine in her new book, "Sage-Ing While Age-Ing."Yes folks, it's really true. Kucinich hangs out at Shirley MacLaine's house.
Kucinich, she writes on page143-144 of the book, "had a close sighting over my home in Graham, Washington, when I lived there. Dennis found his encounter extremely moving. The smell of roses drew him out to my balcony where, when he looked up, he saw a gigantic triangular craft, silent, and observing him. It hovered, soundless, for ten minutes or so, and sped away with a speed he couldn't comprehend. He said he felt a connection in his heart and heard directions in his mind."
Tonight's vinyl ripping. I still enjoy listening to the old albums like this now and then. I really like the pipe organ on "I'm O.K." Lots of fantastic synthesizer work on this album, too, back when all the synths were still analog.
These recordings, gathered over a period of two months in the spring of 2006, have some very interesting characteristics.I'm very familiar with the sounds of coyotes and these are definitely not the sounds of coyotes. I'm thoroughly unfamiliar with wolf sounds so can't comment on that.
Skeptics who have heard the files have said that they were made by coyotes. I don’t think that’s the case and I want to use this space to show some of the reasons I don’t think so.
This night's work. Having some technical difficulties with this ancient stereo console. I could use a new turntable.
The mystery behind the sudden death of Tutankhamun, the boy king who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, may have been finally solved by scientists who believe that he fell from a fast-moving chariot while out hunting in the desert.A lesson on the perils of road hunting.
Speculation surrounding Tutankhamun's death has been rife since his tomb was broken into in 1922 by archaeologist Howard Carter. X-rays of the mummy taken in 1968 indicated a swelling at the base of the skull, suggesting "King Tut" was killed by a blow to the head.
More recent studies using a CT medical scanner, however, revealed he suffered a badly broken leg, just above his knee just before he died. That in turn probably led to lethal blood poisoning. Now further evidence has come to light suggesting that he suffered the fracture while hunting game from a chariot.
Just joining in the fun of pointing out how Obama is a totally clueless dipwad.At the stroke of midnight yesterday, Ruger turned up an area of their website that may change how firearms are introduced to shooters. Rather than the long-accepted practice of offering previews and private showings to magazine writers months in advance (so as to allow the months of lead time necessary to get their writing and photography ready) Ruger stayed mum, shipping writers' guns out a day in advance of their announcement.And here it is.
Interestingly enough, The Gun Cellar in Hoover, Alabama - the FFL where my gun was shipped - told me they pre-ordered their SR9s based solely on pictures - there were no advance pistols available.
Appropriately enough, this new rollout concept has been called "Red October." Like like the movie of the same name, the launch was synonymous with an unexpected change - although I wouldn't characterize the introduction as a sneak attack.
It truly was a novel idea - after hearing the "buzz" about a new shooter, shoppers would walk into a gun store - and there, in all its newness would sit the new Ruger SR 9. No months of waiting, no hoping the final product would resemble the prototypes in the magazines, just an announcement that a new gun was -gasp- available.
It truly is a new paradigm in firearms marketing.
NAHJ wrote the station manager late Thursday urging that Rebecca Aguilar be reinstated "for the sake of good journalism and maintaining your newscasts' credibility in the local community and national journalism community."There's a shocker. I expect LULAC and La Raza must be working themselves into a mighty fine lather right about now, and we'll be hearing from them soon, as well. If NAHJ were really paying attention they would know exactly how the "local community" feels about her. But they are obviously dedicated to supporting someone based solely on her racial heritage rather than her actual ability or talent.
Gov. Rick Perry's endorsement Wednesday of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the Republican presidential nomination sparked renewed speculation that Perry is seeking a spot on the ticket as a vice-presidential candidate.I've never been entirely comfortable with Perry as gov, something about him just didn't sit well with me, even though he appeared friendly to the CHLers. He lost me for good with all that Trans Texas Corridor nonsense, but this is just mind boggling.
R. GIULIANI: "Honestly, in most respects, I don't know Hillary's experience. She's never run a city, she's never run a state. She's never run a business. She has never met a payroll. She has never been responsible for the safety and security of millions of people, much less even hundreds of people."Amazing. Rudy made himself personally responsible for the safety and security of millions of New Yorkers who he had a large part in disarming--ensuring they could not be responsible for their own safety and security. So he personally watched over each and every individual to make sure they were safe and secure.
I had sent in a photo to be included on the site. However, I would now like to request that it not be added. I don't want to appear in the same group with that idiot with the red bandanna.For what it's worth.
| Anyone can make flash movies with Toufee.com |
Still, I am shocked that Republicans are willing to signal their utter disregard and disrespect for social conservatives by considering Giuliani as a tenable candidate. They used to think we were a force that had to placacted. Now, they have gauged our resolve and realized they can treat us with impunity since we will set aside our principles in the name of pragmatism.His article centers around abortion, but all the points he makes could be equally applied to the so-called pro-rkba movement.
A skunk who got his head stuck in a salad dressing jar was saved by a Michigan police officer - from a safe distance.Via Metro UK.
The skunk, head in jar, wandered into a police station parking lot and was spotted by Officer James Kellett.
Kellett wanted to help, but was wary of the skunk's spray, The Saginaw News reported in its Friday edition.
So, naturally, he grabbed a pellet gun used in hunters' safety courses and shot at the jar from a safe distance.
The shots cracked and shattered the jar, leaving a glass collar around the skunk's neck. With its head free, the skunk ran off.
'I didn't want to use deadly force, and it is a residential area,' said Kellett. 'The way he was when he took off, he was able to eat, breathe and spray - and do anything else skunks like to do.'
I've never understood why anyone would want to put plastic pink flamingos in their yard. But I could go for these.| Flash movies are fun to make at Toufee.com |
This year is no exception, and the need for practicing hunting safety cannot be over-emphasized.So he's talking about hunters negligently shooting themselves or each other, right?
The BBC has a list of this year's Ig Nobel Award winners.| You Are the Thumb |
 You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category. Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well. You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few. You get along well with: The Middle Finger Stay away from: The Pinky |
Q. Why do scientists need to know about this?
A. Because not long ago, researchers from South Korea had to retract papers published in Science because the photographs used to prove that human stem cells had been cloned were effectively Photoshop-cloned, and not laboratory-cloned. There have been other recent cases, too. And today, in science, more and more, photographs are the data. The Federal Office of Research Integrity has said that in 1990, less than 3 percent of allegations of fraud they investigated involved contested images. By 2001, that number was 26 percent. And last year, it was 44.1 percent.
Mike Rossner of The Journal of Cell Biology estimates that 20 percent of the manuscripts he accepts contain at least one figure that has to be remade because of inappropriate image manipulation. He means that the images are not accurate reflections of the original data. Rossner estimates that about 1 percent of the papers have some piece of image data that is downright fraudulent.
This fall all classes have seen the film in its entirety. One student who believed people should not own guns is now challenging that notion. She was amazed that genocide and defenseless citizens = murder and oppression. When juxtaposed with Susanna Gratia’s tale in that tragic day in Killeen, Texas- this student saw the light that people have the right to defend themselves. She is not comfortable with wholesale gun ownership, but she is now at least listening.The letter was written by a college professor who has made the DVD part of the Global Issues course at Georgia College and State University.
What has amazed me are the numbers of students who see me at the end of class who are comfortable with the message that self-defense is a right. Further, women seem to get it. Two young ladies (18 years old) in class this week believed they had the right to protect themselves. One young man thanked me for showing a film that didn’t malign gun ownership. The rest of the class commented about the somber tone and how it made them think about our government in comparison with other nations.
The aliens in Independence Day were not only thousands of years ahead of us technologically, but also were an entirely different species. Therefore, Goldblum’s feat was the equivalent of colony of baboons in the Congo hacking into CitiBank using tree bark and clumps of their own feces.And they're dead-on about Sandra Bullock.
Their deaths were terrifying, and Dr Wilson believes they were meant to be. "The logistics of getting the children there needed imperial organisation," he said. "We believe there was some measure of the Incas demonstrating their power to the colonised: obey, or this is what will happen to you."
So, not only are you forced to register it before it can be activated, you have to pay another $9.95 for it. After registering, the customer is given an activation code which will enable the device.This site is dedicated to the feasibility of developing, financing, producing and distributing a feature film aimed at the "geek" market. The themes of H.P. Lovecraft are echoed in “Summer of Lovecraft”, a feature-length sci-fi/horror film that explores (and satirizes) rebellion, rural dystopia, intolerance, atavistic guilt, the inevitability of fate and the arrogance of humanity. The screenplay is based in part on the works of H.P. Lovecraft and in part on the lives of its authors. The intent is to produce an feature film and series of comics based on the characters and situations in the screenplay. This website is here to prove to the people with the money that project has 'legs'. "Summer of Lovecraft" has been shopped around to several different studios, investors & distribution companies, all of whom have shown interest... but none has ponied up the cash so far. Problem is, none of them seem to think there's a market out there for a film like this. We're here to prove them wrong. If we prove there's a market, they'll invest, plain & simple.Well, I would watch it.
Francis Crick, the Nobel Prize-winning father of modern genetics, was under the influence of LSD when he first deduced the double-helix structure of DNA nearly 50 years ago.Full story here. Old news, but I just discovered it. Interesting, if true.The abrasive and unorthodox Crick and his brilliant American co-researcher James Watson famously celebrated their eureka moment in March 1953 by running from the now legendary Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge to the nearby Eagle pub, where they announced over pints of bitter that they had discovered the secret of life.
Crick, who died ten days ago [2004-07-28], aged 88, later told a fellow scientist that he often used small doses of LSD, then an experimental drug used in psychotherapy, to boost his powers of thought. He said it was LSD, not the Eagle's warm beer, that helped him to unravel the structure of DNA, the discovery that won him the Nobel Prize.
If you can get past the irony of the top-most ad without spewing your favorite beverage on your screen, look down at the bottom-most item. You can see that they have no problem selling ad space for drug paraphernalia. Look at this animated gif of the device in action. That's a dope pipe.
Another example of the gimmicks people go to to sell pipes. This one had an aluminum tube inside the shank/stem to prevent the smoke and moisture from contacting the actual inside of the pipe. Disassemble, clean the tube, and reassemble. Many years later Falcon, Kirsten and others would drop the pretense and simply create an aluminum-stemmed pipe.
In keeping with my unannounced custom of posting some Cthulhuian graphic every weekend, here is an artist's rendition of Yog-Sothoth. I don't know who the artist was, since the site I found it on didn't credit him/her either.It was the last ferry back from the island to Mackinac city. Nearly 100 Ron Paul supporters were waiting on the dock when they were surprised to see Mayor Giuliani appear with his bodyguards walking toward the ferryboat. The crowd started cheering Ron Paul’s name and Mayor Giuliani’s smiling face suddenly turned thunderstruck. Informed that it was the last ferry, Giuliani ended up boarding with those Ron Paul supporters and took the “longest” ferry ride in his life.Pretty funny. He has to hide behind his bodyguards because the other passengers were chanting a different candidate's name. What a wimp. And he thinks he can be President?
The ferryboat was going like the wind, cleaving the waves on the Great Lakes in the inky darkness, as if the Black Pearl in the movie Pirates of Caribbean. Giuliani was “hiding” beneath the window in the captain’s cabinet, with bodyguards standing around him to block the sight. The crowd kept cheering Ron Paul’s name again and again all the way, for almost 20 minutes, many of them were calling their friends and family to give them the play-by-play.
When the ferry reached Mackinac City, Giuliani went out of the captain’s cabinet with a cheering face and offered to shake hands with passengers sitting in the first row but they were reluctant to do so. Afraid of Ron Paul supporters’ enthusiasm, Giuliani got off the fore of the boat, instead of taking the normal path at the stern.
Also on board were FOX News reporters who covered the whole ride with their vidicon, but it wasn’t put on air.
Turned up at a reptile center in Pennsylvania. Two heads, six legs, and a combined tail. I suppose it must be excreting its wastes from somewhere, or it would be dead by now.
