What were they thinking? Supreme Court limits local gun bans

Oh Boy! Now Chicago can get back to the good old days of Al Copone!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Justices rebuff Chicago, which defended ban as reasonable exercise of local power

As It Stands: Misunderstood connections: The Crusades, jihads and 9/11

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 06/27/2010 01:27:21 AM PDT

Who cared about the history of the Crusades before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks? History buffs, I suppose. If you were like me, your history classes barely scratched the surface on why the Crusades were waged.

My knowledge of the Crusades, after graduating from high school, was easily summed up in one paragraph. When Osama bin Laden described the United States' war on terrorists as a new crusade against Islam, I decided to revisit the subject. After some research, I thought I had a better understanding of the Crusades, and moved on to other subjects.

In a sound-bite world, a crusade quickly became a term freely used by both sides to resurrect past conflicts between two world religions. In the popular view, when I was growing up, the Crusaders were the good guys. Living in the West had something to do with that, I'm sure. The rationale was that the Crusaders spread the word of God and saved souls from Satan's minions, the Muslims.

My view changed, as the years went by, to the opinion the Crusaders invaded a peaceful Muslim society more advanced than their own. Their purpose was to loot, take land and force their religion on to those they subjugated. I saw them as opportunists jumping on an imperialistic bandwagon called the Catholic Church.

Read the rest here.

                                   WHOSE READING TODAY’s COLUMN?

READ COMENTS FROM DOCTOR BULLDOG and RONIN Blog (Conservative News, Views, & Analysis of Events)

Another Blog called “FAITHFUL NEWS” is carrying today’s column.

Another Blog called “OPEN SUNSCRIBER” also picked it up.

Here’s an interesting website WTCDEMOLITION that’s sharing my column this morning.

Comment Forum Topix at Times-Standard – today’s column

Judge in oil spill case sells energy stocks

For a portrait in corruption we need go no further than U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman’s blatant backing for more oil drilling immediately…

Feldman struck down government's moratorium on deepwater drilling

U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman’s disclosure report, which covers investments for 2009, shows he owned eight energy-related investments including stock in Exxon Mobil Corp.

However, in an attachment to the report, the judge said he sold his Exxon Mobil stock this June when he was hearing the oil spill case.

In last year's disclosure report, Feldman owned up to 16 energy-related investments.

Among the assets sold was stock in Transocean, the Switzerland-based company that owned the drilling rig operated by BP that is now spewing oil into the Gulf.

Tomb raiders hit Iraqi sites as U.S. troops leave

'No guards, no fences, nothing' to protect oldest treasures of civilization

Obama’s Hypocrisy Highlighted By Dealings With Lobbyists

President Obama may be a nice guy, but he’s proving to be a phony in many ways. This collusion with lobbyists leads back to Day One when you look at how many lobbyists he appointed to prime positions in his government. 

Coffee shops used for discreet lobbyist meetings

Meetings outside the White House avoid official visitor registration

Here’s how business is really done in the Obama administration:

“Here at the Caribou on Pennsylvania Avenue, and a few other nearby coffee shops, White House officials have met hundreds of times over the last 18 months with prominent K Street lobbyists — members of the same industry that President Obama has derided for what he calls its “outsized influence” in the capital.”

Here’s what’s happening:

“But because the discussions are not taking place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, they are not subject to disclosure on the visitors’ log that the White House releases as part of its pledge to be the “most transparent presidential administration in history.”

Obama’s disconnect with the public:

“The off-site meetings, lobbyists say, reveal a disconnect between the Obama administration’s public rhetoric — with Mr. Obama himself frequently thrashing big industries’ “battalions” of lobbyists as enemies of reform — and the administration’s continuing, private dealings with them.

Obama: Reform will hold Wall St. ‘accountable’

This ought to be interesting. We’ve been hearing about financial reform for over a year now.

The question now is, what are the details? Is it really something that’s going to change the way business is done on Wall Street? Color me suspicious:

The Bill represents biggest rewrite of Wall Street rules since Great Depression

Photo: Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT), center, and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), right, talk during a recess from a committee conference on Wall Street reform to hammer out sweeping changes in financial regulation legislation on Capitol Hill, in Washington, on Thursday.

Warning: this sign is really funny

 

 

 

 

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You have to read the whole sign to see how clever it is. Found in a Canadian campground. 

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Doctor aka ‘Candy Man’ tied to 68 overdose deaths is found guilty

A federal jury on Thursday found Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife guilty of illegally prescribing painkillers to dozens of patients who later died.

If you lived in Wichita, Kansas and wanted prescription painkillers all you had to do was see the “Candy Man,” Dr. Stephen Schneider (shown here).

He was known as the “Candy Man” on the streets because it was so easy to get powerful painkillers from him with practically no questions asked – other than cursory on-the-spot examinations. Now, he and his wife, are paying the piper for their scheming that has caused dozens of deaths.

 

Bizarre comic books going back over 6 decades

HANSI The Girl Who Loved The Swastica is a classic (1938) bizarre comic.

There’s more to see if you go here.

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PREVENTIVE MAINTAINCE, 1951

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The 10 silliest things ever said by politicians

Comedians would probably not exist without politicians, whose speeches have always been full of splendidly stupid quotes:

Go here for a list of the top 10 moronic mutterings from politicians worldwide.

My favorite is the following from George W. Bush (pictured here trying to concentrate while someone asks him a question!):

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." – Washington, D.C., August 5, 2004 – George W. Bush.

The Big Eye is ready to fly over the skies of Texas

Holy drones Batman! Robots are patrolling the Tex-Mex border!

Unmanned drone set to patrol Texas border

PHOTO: An unmanned Predator drone taxis in El Mirage, Calif., after a test flight over the Mojave Desert. The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the use of unmanned aircraft to patrol the Texas-Mexico border. 

Here’s some famous people's final words – what wisdom have they left behind?

Famous people's final words should be, well, famous. But since most people don't know which words will be their last, those final utterances can be revealing, touching or just odd.

Here’s the reported last words of some memorable people, from George Washington to Bob Marley to Princess Diana.

I suspect my last words will be similar to this old goat’s!         

             Winston Churchhill

Claim to fame: Considered one of history's greatest wartime leaders and statesmen as Britain's Prime Minister during World War II. (See photos) (Read some of his quotes)

Last words: "I'm bored with it all."

(d. Jan. 24, 1965)

How did he die?

Trapped drunk driver opens another beer as awaits rescue

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There’s nothing funny about drunk drivers…

Pathetic perhaps, like the drunk driver in this story who was trapped after overturning his car and cracked open another can of beer while waiting for emergency crews to rescue him, according to New Zealand authorities.

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Stupid Move of the Year Award: Obama relieves McChrystal of command

Gen. David Petraeus named to take over troubled Afghan war

America’s most competent military commander, Gen. McChrytstal, was forced out because he bruised Obama’s (and his buddies) egos. The truth hurts someday, and this is a perfect example.

Yes, McChrystal questioned some moves by Obama and his Pentagon parrots. So what? The “chain-of-command” crap, is just that. Crap. The fact is, Obama got rid of a critic, and the troops lost the best commander they’ve ever had.

Medical Calendar: X-ray pinups stripped to the bone

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Miss September" wears stiletto heels as she strikes a pose for the Eizo X-ray pinup calendar

One of the year's most provocative pinup calendars features pictures that would be X-rated ... except that they're shot using X-rays.

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Coming Soon: Veterans Night with the Humboldt Crabs!

A message from Kim Hall at HSU:

Tuesday, June 29^th, $2 bucks to get in (if you’re a vet, bring some type of ID – Daniel suggests a cool tattoo!) 

Crabs play the Southern Oregon River Dawgs……  at 1900!

I would love to see you all, it’s awfully quiet up here this summer!!

As It Stands: U.S. schools lead industrial world in violence against children, lawmaker says

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 06/22/2010 01:30:17 AM PDT

When I went to school in the fifties and early sixties, paddling was a common form of punishment. I know this because I became acquainted with the practice by fourth grade. Teachers nationwide served up that dreaded “Board of Education” routinely in those days.

After I grew up, and got married and had three sons, the subject of paddling in school never came up. Not that my boys were goodie two-shoes who never got in trouble. They just never went to a school where paddling was permitted.

The state of California, where they went to school, outlawed corporal punishment in schools back in 1986. To my surprise, I recently learned there are still 20 states where it's legal for teachers to paddle their students.

Further research revealed that we are one of the few countries in the world to allow such treatment. Over 100 countries, including Canada, Australia, the countries of Western Europe and the U.K. outlawed corporal punishment decades ago.

It's not like we don't have organizations that oppose corporal punishment in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Civil Liberties Union have all fought for years to get the practice banned nationwide.

For the first time in nearly two decades, Congress held hearings in April on the use of corporal punishment in schools. As a result of those hearings, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) will introduce a bill in the House this month to deny federal funding to schools that allow corporal punishment.

GO HERE TO READ THE REST

UPDATE:

From: Nadine A. Block, Executive Director, Center for Effective Discipline and co-chair of EPOCH-USA

Thanks for the nice article informing the public that the “board of education” is still a problem in the U.S.    Representative McCarthy’s aide says the bill will be going to the Education and Labor Committee shortly!

Nadine

155 W Main Street #1603, Columbus, OH 43215

Tel:  (614)221-8829     Fax:  (614)221-2110

www.stophitting.org

The students are gone, schools out, reduced readership

Statistics don’t lie.

Since school let out everywhere, I’ve lost nearly 500 viewers a day. My stats show that the majority of visitors that I’m getting now (about 550 daily) are foreign.

While worldwide viewing remains the same on this blog, my national visitors have practically disappeared. I guess it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that my blog is student- driven, a fact that I find entertaining.

image source

First Day of Summer: How the ancients celebrated the solstice

Stonehenge is best-known, but not only, place to fete the sun.

At sunrise on the Northern Hemisphere's longest day of the year — the summer solstice thousands of modern-day druids, pagans and partiers gather in the countryside near Salisbury, England, to cheer as the first rays of light stream over a circular arrangement of stones called Stonehenge. The original purpose of the ancient monument remains a source of academic debate. The large stones erected about 4,000 years ago are aligned with the summer solstice sunrise, leading scholars to suggest a link to an ancient sun-worshipping culture.

New Jersey naval base was briefly under 'lockdown'

This is a breaking news story…

Several incidents had been reported earlier today at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division.

"We are no longer on lockdown," the public affairs office told NBC News. A press release with more details would be released later in the day, a spokesman said.”