Chief Justice Robert’s seizure shows much of Left’s true colors

When I read about Chief Justice John Robert’s brief seizure late last night I had three quick-succession thoughts.

1. Concern for the Chief Justice and his family.
2. Relief and thankfulness that he’s OK.
3. Wonder at how long it was going to take for some rather mainstream Lefty site to bemoan the fact that it wasn’t really serious or that he’d died.

Power Line answered that 3rd question, and it apparently wasn’t long in coming. John Hinderaker over there notes that Wonkette had this to say:

Chief Justice John Roberts has died in his summer home in Maine. No, not really, but we know you have your fingers crossed.

I’m absolutely certain their regular readership, as a whole, did indeed. Power Line’s post is titled, “An Idealogy of Hate.” That’s an accurate assessment and the Left ought to be ashamed that their leading lights revel in events like these. They ought to be, but I have no confidence that it even crosses their minds.

On the current reading list

So, what’s in my current reading queue?

War Crimes by Robert “Buzz” Patterson, Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right by Bernard Goldberg, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, and Deploying IPv6 Networks by Ciprian Popoviciu (Cisco Press).

Fun set of juggling, there, ain’t it?

Iraqi soccer team beats Saudi Arabia to take their 1st Asian Cup

I note this morning that Iraq’s soccer team has beaten some long odds and won the Asian Cup, defeating former champions Saudi Arabia 1-0.

Well done, folks!

(Now if we can just get you to quit shooting into the air to celebrate, that’d be wonderful. May we suggest fireworks, instead?)

It’s been a deadly week in the air

This week has taken the lives of a number of people who have, as the saying goes, slipped the surly bonds of earth.

First, an accident on landing between 2 WWII-era P-51 Mustangs killed the pilot of one of the aircraft.

Then there was the terrible mid-air collision of 2 news choppers in Phoenix that killed all 4 people aboard the 2 helicopters. (There are reports that authorities are considering charging the man responsible for the police chase with those deaths.)

Finally, there’s news tonight that a seasoned stunt pilot has crashed at an airshow in Dayton, OH. The pilot died on the way to the hospital.

May God grant peace and eternal light to those killed and strength to those left without their presence.

Elderly assault victim returns fire

I’m thinking it must’ve just torn the AP editors up to have to run a story like this without finding some way to put an anti-gun spin on things, but the facts are what they are. An Arkansas man confronted a burglar he’d discovered in his bedroom. Apparently holding onto a soda can to give his blows more impact, the burglar started beating the homeowner, striking him at least 50 times and knocking him out cold. The burglar then returned to the task of finding more stuff to steal.

The victim, who (by the way) is 93 years old, regained consciousness and got out his .38-caliber pistol and took aim. The burglar tried to rush the victim who responded by firing 1 round, hitting the oncoming burglar in the throat. Fight over.

When the police got there the burglar was conscious and said that he couldn’t feel his legs. He also said he had gotten what he deserved. I agree.

I’m glad the man chose to exercise his 2nd Amendment rights and I’m glad he was able to defend himself. Without that weapon, the burglar might have come at him that second time to finish the job, permanently. I’m also glad to see such a story reported without all the normal bending and twisting to try to make the gun owner seem like an idiot or some foaming-at-the-mouth Rambo. Let’s see some more of that, AP.

Who would ever let Dr. Robert Woo (Auburn, WA) work on their teeth again?

This story almost defies belief. According to the AP story, a dentist thought it would be hilariously good fun to temporarily implant fake boar tusks into a woman’s mouth – his assistant, no less – while that woman was under anesthesia for a different procedure. Then, he takes pictures of her while she’s still out before he removes them.

She was shown the pictures by some co-workers and sued the dentist. The story itself is about the courtroom action that followed the dentist’s settling with the woman. The dentist, Dr. Robert Woo of Auburn, WA, wanted his insurance carrier to cover his costs. The insurer, Fireman’s Fund, said no because the so-called “practical joke” was both intentional on Woo’s part and not a normal activity of a dentist practicing his trade. After Woo settled with his former assistant, he then sued Fireman’s.

The initial trial judge ruled in favor of Woo, ordering them to pay this clown $750,000. They appealed and the order was overturned. Woo appealed to the state’s Supreme Court and they ruled in his favor and reinstated the award! The vote, in case you’re keeping score was 5-4.

Setting aside the idiocy of 5 Supreme Court Justices who think the notion of a supposed professional implanting a piece of a costume that was specifically intended to ridicule a woman who had every expectation of being treated professionally is just fine and dandy, can I ask a question of the residents of that area?

Which of you will ever permit Dr. Woo to work on your mouth? Particularly in a procedure that involves anesthesia? Which of you would ever, ever trust this man to act professionally regardless of what line of business he goes into? I’d not allow this man to stay in the same building with any member of my family, let alone rely on him in a professional setting.

Stupid dentist. Idiotic Supreme Court Justices. When it rains, it pours, I guess. I’m glad they’re not over here in Virginia.

Court to former Qwest CEO: cough up the cash

Former CEO of Qwest Communications Joe Nacchio has been ordered to hand over $52 million in assets he acquired as a result of his illegal stock sales. He was convicted in April of making those sales during a stretch of time when he was aware of Qwest’s financial risk but made sure average investors never heard about it.

He can still get sentenced to up to 7 years of prison time and $19 million in fines but that’s awaiting the results of his appeal.

Analog TV sets are headed for an obsolescence deadline

Were you aware that the TV broadcasters are going to shut down their analog transmitters in about 18 months? If you weren’t, you’re in good company. According to a poll released this past January, 61% of those responding had no idea, either.

On 18 Feb 2009 the television broadcasting industry will be permitted to shut off their existing analog transmission network which will render any analog TV not equipped with a converter box or hooked to a cable or satellite provider obsolete and pretty useless. As of now, that’s leaving 19% of households in the dark unless they upgrade their gear.

This hasn’t been coming in under the radar, it’s been clearly announced for a couple of years. It’s just that the industry hasn’t been very loud about the deadline coming. (And I do consider it the responsibility of the industry to get that word out, not the government.) Knowing what they say about being forewarned, be sure you keep your eyes open as the date approaches.

TN Corrections Dept getting their panties in a bunch?

So here’s the primary question to the Tennessee Dept. of Corrections who has issued a revision of the visitation rules for people visiting inmates at the prisons banning visitors from wearing thong underwear:

How are you planning on enforcing that?

ICE to update DRO systems

ICE is preparing to solicit proposals for modernizing the system used by the Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) according to a report over at FCW.com.

The Homeland Security Department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division issued a pre-solicitation notice July 24 requesting project management support services for the Office of Detention and Removal (DRO).

ICE Chief Information Officer Luke McCormack said the current DRO system is 20 years old. The office is responsible for enforcing U.S. immigration laws requiring “removable aliens” to leave the United States. 

The existing systems clearly need an upgrade and that would be obvious even if you didn’t know they were 20 years old. The people who simply slip through the cracks when they should have been deported do so because the systems aren’t in place to adequately track them. This solicitation also deals with the concept of finding ways to track and assure compliance of those illegals who are being run through the system but aren’t necessarily put in detention centers. (Think GPS-enabled leg bands like those used for “house arrest” cases.) If such systems are made robust enough, they would greatly enhance our ability to maintain immigration control even if we don’t have enough prisons to hold them all.

Definitely something that should be looked into.