Evil Big Oil?

Let's all remember who owns Big Oil.

You and I.

Quick update

If you are ever wondering if I'm really busy with work, just watch my posting breaks.

I was in Atlanta working on a project Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, back catching up on Thursday, and meeting with a vendor on Friday in NJ, so not much internets time.

If you are following my training log, you'll note I haven't trained for a couple of weeks. I slipped off a curb and twisted my knee, and had to give it a little time. I'm back at it tomorrow. I might lift in a meet in August.

Othrewise, things be great. I've heard lots of great news stories (my favorite is the aluminum bat lawsuit). I'm planning on having a great weekend getting some stuff done around the house, and then enjoying it. There's not much better than feeling like you are on vacation in your own home.

Recovery methods

A quick video on contrast showers.




Via Elite Fitness Systems Iron Brothers Q&A

Heavy

These guys are. Heavy. Good.

A very small step for freedom

Chicago overturns foie gras ban

It's not all gas prices, you know...

While we blame high gas prices for everything, including kids not getting limos for prom, we need to keep some other stuff in mind.

Many operators have added surcharges in response to higher gasoline prices, which reached an average of $3.63 per gallon for regular unleaded in Maryland, AAA Mid-Atlantic reported yesterday. Rogers raised rates $35, bringing the cost of renting a limo to $885 for eight hours.

"The gas prices definitely are not helping us," she said. "It is working against us. We are trying not to raise the prices [again]. But the industry is suffering. It's not too far off."

Richard Kane, owner of International Limousine Service in Washington and president of the National Limousine Association, said operators suffered first-quarter losses of 10 percent to 30 percent.

Rate increases implemented in response to higher fuel costs range from 8 percent to 20 percent, Kane said.

"It is unfortunate, but we have to pass the costs on," said Kane, 38, who has tacked on a 13.5 percent surcharge.

Mike Vallard, owner of Bel Air-based Higher Quality Limousines, is among those who decided against raising prices, resigning himself to the possibility of simply breaking even. Vallard, who is president of the Maryland Limousine Association, charges $800 for six hours and $1,000 for eight hours.

First, a $35 increase to $885 is less than a 5% increase. Also, keep in mind it is harder for teens to get jobs than it used to be, due at least in part to the higher minimum wage, which primarily impacts part time and teenage workers. Also, don't forget the sales tax increase in Maryland from 5% to 6%. On that same $850 original limo rate, the increase in the sales tax is $8.50, about a quarter of the increase due to gas.

Inspire confidence

If we don't even know who we capture in Iraq, how can we possibly think everyone at Gitmo should be there?

There's a reason we have due process.

The story of Cory Maye and Ron Jones.

Iraq ian't the only war we should be trying to stop.


More info here, and here.

Oh, I'd put a bet on success

If I were able, I think I'd put a bet on Under Armour shoes being a success.

"Success or failure is not going to be determined by a day or a weekend," Kevin A. Plank, Under Armour chairman and chief executive officer, said in an interview early Saturday minutes before the launch.

"Today is just the beginning," Plank later told employees at the company's flagship store at Westfield Annapolis Mall. "It's just the starting line."

SportsOneSource, a company that tracks shoe sales, said it would have a better indication about the launch results in two weeks.

When Under Armour launched its football cleats two years ago, it didn't see results until six weeks later. It now holds 22 percent of that market.

"It really is difficult to judge the first weekend," said Matt Powell, an analyst with SportsOneSource. "Sometimes the numbers look big and don't materialize or stay that way. Sometimes it's vice versa. I think we're better off to wait a couple of weeks to get a good read."

Everything I've seen them do has worked. Given the success of the cleats, I'll bet they do ok with the general public. I sure do see a lot of UA wear at the gym.

Feticide?

From the things that confuse me department, comes this story out of Louisiana.

19-year-old man was booked in the death of a fetus after he accidentally shot a pregnant woman and killed her unborn baby, authorities said.

Wilbert L. Luke Jr. shot Shawntell Walker, 17, in the abdomen Sunday while he was showing her a handgun, Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies said.

Luke drove Walker, who was 22 weeks pregnant, to West Jefferson Medical Center, said sheriff's spokesman Col. John Fortunato. The fetus died during surgery, he said.

A .22-caliber handgun recovered from Luke had been stolen in St. Tammany Parish, Fortunato said. Luke said he bought the gun on the streets about a year ago, Fortunato said.

Luke was booked with third-degree feticide and possession of a stolen firearm.

Now, clearly, there is a crime here, as this mental giant shot a girl while showing off his gun. (I guess this is how one wins the heart of a pregnant 17 year old?) What I don't get is feticide. He's charged with a crime against the unborn child, not the mother. So, then, how isn't an abortion feticide?

I don't see how you can have it both ways.

I've wanted to comment on this for some time, and this story has provided the motivation. While I find abortion distasteful, I don't see how the removal of a parasite that can not function on it's own outside the host should be illegal. The only intellectually honest argument is that the embryo or fetus is a person at conception, with all of the rights one gets from their humanity. That's typically not the argument made by anti abortion folks, who seem to approve of "murder" if it's the product of incest or rape (how is that the baby's fault?). So if that's your position, you are instead placing your moral beliefs on others, much like those who wish to implement their desire to socialise healthcare, for example.

To those on the other side, who think abortions should remain legal, what is the argument that this should be any crime other than assault/battery/attempted murder on the mother? In my eyes, I just don't see how you can make it.

You can't have it both ways, I'm afraid.

Life, Satire... well, you know.

The TSA has been keeping Air Marshals off flights, because, you know, they might be terrorists.

False identifications based on a terrorist no-fly list have for years prevented some federal air marshals from boarding flights they are assigned to protect, according to officials with the agency, which is finally taking steps to address the problem.



Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) familiar with the situation say the mix-ups, in which marshals are mistaken for terrorism suspects who share the same names, have gone on for years — just as they have for thousands of members of the traveling public.



One air marshal said it has been "a major problem, where guys are denied boarding by the airline."



"In some cases, planes have departed without any coverage because the airline employees were adamant they would not fly," said the air marshal, who asked not to be named because the job requires anonymity. "I've seen guys actually being denied boarding."



A second air marshal said one agent "has been getting harassed for six years because his exact name is on the no-fly list."

Hat tip: The Agaitator

May Day

As I have in the past, I direct you to the annual May Day Rememberance Posts at Distributed Republic.

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.