I'm pretty sure...

There are an awful lot of Democrats out there wishing they had voted for Bill Richardson.

He would slaughter McCain. The other two? Can't even beat each other, and both work pretty hard on beating themselves.

Does not compute

Driving home from the gym today, I catch the news on WBAL. Two stories, back to back.

The first is regarding sentencing for two men involved in an attack on a 75 year old Sun reporter that caused brain damage.

Two of the men involved in an unprovoked attack on a 75 year old Baltimore Sun reporter were sentenced this afternoon.

Both Latar Bradshaw,23, and Gregory Kulla,37, were given three years supervised probation. Bradshaw faces up to 20 years in prison if he re-offends, while Kulla would face up to 15 years in prison if he breaks his probation.

Judge John Glynn presided at the sentencing.

Another man, Phillip Carter, has already been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attack.

The victim, Carl Schoettler, suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalized for a week after the February 2006 attack.

The attack happened after Schoettler was involved in a minor car accident with Gregory Kulla dowtown near City Hall. Prosecutors say after Schoettler got out of his car to speak with Kulla, Latar Bradshaw and Phillip Carter ran across the street and attacked Schoettler, who was 73 years old at the time.

Carter has already been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Bradshaw pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and conspiracy to commit robbery, while Kulla pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and accessory after the fact.

Prosecutors say Kulla didn't do anything to stop the attack and agreed to drive Carter and Bradshaw away from the scene.

15 and 20 year SUSPENDED sentences, and probation.

Compared to the next story, regarding a man who was firing off fireworks at night.

A Baltimore County prosecutor says bail was denied for a man charged with creating mysterious middle-of-the-night blasts and flashes of light that puzzled Pikesville area residents for months.

Frederick Lee Mackler, 59, is facing charges of possession of fireworks without a permit, reckless endangerment and controlled dangerous substance violations.

Kristin Blumer, a Baltimore County assistant state's attorney, says Mackler told police he was upset with his neighbors, but the prosecutor says she does not know why.

Blumer says Mackler used a starter's pistol to fire cartridges designed to scare away birds.

In other words, he was being a nuicance, and had some dope in his house (he also apparently had a concealed firearm). NO BAIL.

I don't understand.

What is wrong with people?

I am a polite person. I don't cut in lines, and will, in fact, give you my spot in the express checkout line if you just have a gallon of milk and a bottle of Advil, carrying your screaming 2 year old.

I don't know if it is just a change in our culture where we have become oblivous to the world and people around us, or if rudeness is now part of our culture as well; but I can't go anywhere without having someone do something to rankle me. Mostly it's the grocery store or the mall, with some mouth breather stopping dead in front of me, blocking the way while jabbering away on her cell phone about some inane bs. (Being tied to my cell phone for work, I am generally forgiving, but these are usually personal calls about what to do tonight or what Jimmy did in school today. At the grocery store. Because you are that important.)

The latest episode: my trip to the dry cleaner. I'm picking up some coats my wife dropped off. It's Friday, I'm on my way home from Philly, with one more stop at BJ's standing between me and a cocktail.

I pull in to the parking lot behind a BMW 5 series. The guy gets out of the car, looks at me getting out of mine, and literally runs to the door of the dry cleaner to beat me in line... with his laundry basket full of clothes. I'm holding two little tickets. He appears to have everything he owns.

One of these days, I'm going to unleash 235 pounds of polite on one of these assholes.

Once a week

For the few regular readers, sorry for the long gaps between posts. Blogging has been at the bottom of the priority list. Work is busy but managable, training is going well.

There are a couple of good stories in the news, visit some of the links to the right and do some reading.

Don't wait for permission

In Kalamazoo, MI, students are protesting the violation of their rights via a ban on carrying a concealed weapon on a college campus.

The article linked above isn't clear if the ban is legislative or if it is a ban by the individual schools.

If it's the former, instead of protesting, these folks need to stand up and just do it. Don't let a law leave you vulnerable. I don't think you need permission from the government to carry a gun, and if the government thinks otherwise, let them catch you. The only way they will is if you needed the gun.

If it's the latter, live your principles and go to one of the (very few, apparently) schools that do allow carrying concealed handguns.

Liberty and Irony

Apparently, it is illegal to celebrate Jefferson's birthday by dancing at his memorial.

You should be very, very angered by this.

But you probably aren't, because we've given up. Welcome to the Police State. Now shut up.

Great news for talk radio listeners in Baltimore

But maybe not so great for Ron Smith and WBAL.

Ed Norris, is moving from midday to drive time, getting the 3-6 slot on HFS. Don and Mike are apparently gone from the lineup (their show is syndicated, and apparently Don is retiring, so HFS is dumping the new 'Mike' show. I honestly never got Don and Mike, anyway).

The awesome news is that Brian Wilson is returning to radio in Baltimore - I've read he'll be on at noon, with Troy Johnson on from 10 to Noon.

Hey, a training post

But it's not about me.

An online bud, Matt Perryman, was recently interviewed by Leigh Peele. It's a long read, but worth it.

If you are looking for information about my training, read my training log.

Seems to me, this means something other than what they say it means

The FAA has 4 airlines under investigation due to safety concerns.

FAA executives released the audit and outlined new measures to strengthen airline safety in advance of a congressional hearing on Thursday into inspection lapses involving Southwest Airlines and possibly other carriers.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plans to question FAA whistleblowers, Southwest officials and FAA executives. The day-long hearing will focus heavily on what committee chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., describes as "a culture of coziness’’ between the FAA and the airlines.

But Sturgell and other FAA officials, while not commenting on the hearing, said the review showed airlines are complying with 99 percent of FAA "airworthiness directives’’ reviewed by safety inspectors. The review covered 117 air carriers.

Of the airlines that may not be in compliance, three are being reviewed for possible problems involving wiring in the wheel wells, FAA officials said. A fourth had not submitted a plan to show how it would comply with airworthiness directives for future years.

Seems to me, all this shows is the futility of federal oversight when it comes to safety, given the remarkable market pressure to remain safe (otherwise, seems to me there would be more bodies and crashed airplanes.) I'm pretty sure crashing airplanes is bad for business, I don't think we need an inept goverment agency protecting us.