- When news of Cleveland Browns player Shaun Rogers’ arrest for attempting to carry a loaded gun through airport security at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and onto a flight, I found it curious that Browns fans didn’t rush to support their second-best player. Behind Joshua Cribbs, Rogers is the Browns most impactful player and for better or worse, fans are general sycophants when it comes to defending their star players against any allegations, criminal or otherwise. That hasn’t been the case with Rogers, who has found himself facing just as much criticism and outrage from the home front as from the rest of the world. Browns fans may just be tired of Rogers’ petulant ways and propensity to complain and show up for training camp out of shape, but whatever the reason, they are in no hurry to defend him in this case. This next bit of news probably won't help there, as having a police report verify that the gun you allegedly tried to carry through airport security was cocked with a bullet in the chamber tends not to engender much support. According to the police report, Rogers’ cocked semiautomatic handgun was on safety mode with seven bullets in the magazine and one in the chamber. Now I’m not a firearms expert and I can't tell you exactly how to load, assemble or disassemble a gun, but I can tell you that having a bullet in the chamber of semiautomatic is a recipe for disaster in a crowded airport. Yes, Rogers had the safety on, but it’s still a freaking loaded gun in the middle of a crowded airport. Why Rogers has pleaded not guilty to a concealed weapons charge, I don’t know. This isn’t one of those fuzzy, in-the-grey cases where the facts and evidence are in doubt. He definitely had the gun and definitely took it into the airport, so case closed. Putting my legal hat on, this is not a case where you (allegedly) forgetting about the gun excuses your actions. Bottom line, the gun was in your carryon bag when you went through security, end of story. Rogers may have told police he forgot the gun was in his bag when he attempted to fly to Texas on Thursday, but forgetting to leave your gun at home or disassemble it and place it in your checked baggage with ammunition separately stored is not an “Oops, innocent mistake” moment for which you can merely apologize and get off. No doubt Rogers and his attorney will angle for a plea deal here and get one, I just don’t think they deserve that break……….
- In what is bound to be a bitter and hostile debate, the United States government has announced intentions to
swear off the development of new generations of nuclear weapons and promise not use its existing arsenal to attack nonnuclear states that are in compliance with nonproliferation agreements. The Obama administration made the declaration Tuesday, marking a drastic shift from previous administrations and falling in line with
the government's Nuclear Posture Review. The announcement came as a surprise to many even though the world is clearly changing in the post-Cold War era. I think we’ve all seen and perhaps cracked a joke at the expense of peace activists who have demonstrated far and wide against the proliferation of nuclear weapons by world powers. Cracking wise about the kooks flashing peace signs and carrying placards with anti-nuclear messages has become something of a sport, but now a country is finally doing something to remove the threat of all-out nuclear war from the world and there are people who have a problem with it? And make no mistake about it, there are a lot of (NRA member) Americans who will rip this decision and decry it as a sign of America’s wussification. If we’re not sitting with our collective fingers hovering over the button to launch a nuclear bomb onto some poor foreign nation, then we’re not a superpower, dammit! But step back for a second and consider the fact that by taking this stance, other world powers may actually be encouraged to abide within the rules of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As part of the policy, the United States will not conduct nuclear testing and the administration will seek ratification of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This is a separate issue from the new nuclear arms treat President Obama is set to sign with Russia tomorrow that reduces both countries' missile stockpiles. That’s another debate for another time, but in my estimation, any policy that makes it less likely for a nuclear bomb to be dropped is a good policy. According to a statement released by President Obama, the new policy "recognizes that the greatest threat to U.S. and global security is no longer a nuclear exchange between nations, but nuclear terrorism by violent extremists and nuclear proliferation to an increasing number of states. Moreover, it recognizes that our national security and that of our allies and partners can be increasingly defended by America's unsurpassed conventional military capabilities and strong missile defenses." Good idea, sucking up to the military while you’re at it, Mr. President. I support the idea of preventing nuclear proliferation and I’m guessing that all of the diehards out there who will so vociferously oppose this decision would change their stance if they had a chance to see the effects of a nuclear bomb up close after it was dropped. For those who are concerned that rogue states like Iran and North Korea could view this as their opening to launch plans for a nuclear blast against the U.S., Secretary of Defense Robert “B-Diddy” Gates had a warning. "If you're going to play by the rules [of the nonproliferation treaty], we will undertake certain obligations to you," Gates said. "But if you're not going to play by the rules ... all options are on the table." In other words, nuke-kooks, if a nonnuclear state uses chemical or biological weapons, it could still be subjected to a massive conventional response. Our current nuclear arsenal will stay right where it is, ready to use if need be. Just because we aren’t developing new nuclear technology doesn’t mean we will be defenseless. Besides, shouldn’t wiping entire cities off the map and killing hundreds of thousands of people be a last resort anyhow? Beore you rush to condemn this decision, take a moment to honestly consider its purpose and whether an all-out nuclear war is something you really want to see………..
- Not that I’ve ever flown or been inclined to fly Spirit Airlines, but I certainly won't be taking to the friendly skies with them now. Not when they will now be charging customers $20 to $45 for items they place in the overhead bins I won't. Yes, Spirit has broken the barrier we all knew would be crashed some day, deciding that any time you bring luggage onto their planes, be it checked or carried on, you will pay. The variance in fees depends on whether passengers are members of the airline's ultra-low fare club and whether they "pre-reserve" their carry-on bag in advance. Right, because who wouldn’t want to join a club sponsored by a greed-bag airline that charges them for carryon luggage? The policy does allow passengers to have one personal item that fits under a seat for free, such as a purse, briefcase, backpack or laptop computer. In other words, prepare to see fellow passengers spending all of their pre-takeoff time attempting to cram oversized bags under their seat instead of into the overhead compartment. Also exempted from the new usurious policy are items such as diaper bags, pet containers and cameras. But leave it to the clowns who run Spirit and will boost their own corporate bottom line with the policy to spin it as a benefit for customers. Right, Chief Operating Officer Ken McKenzie? "In addition to lowering fares even further, this will reduce the number of carry-on bags, which will improve inflight safety and efficiency by speeding up the boarding and deplaning process," McKenzie said in a statement. Fellow Spirit officials are calling it a "bring less; pay less" policy that will ultimately benefit customers. The new fee is effective for reservations made after April 5 for travel starting August 1. This is the obvious next step with airlines already extorting cash from passengers for checked baggage, but that doesn’t mean it should be accepted without a fight. Spirit is a cut-rate airline and I guess that expecting top-notch service and accommodations from such an airline is too much, so hopefully others won't follow this example. To be fair, Spirit is also a largely regional airline, based out of Miramar, Florida, and flying to destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America. But to be fair to customers, this is an ass-hatted decision and one that should make Spirit the target of scorn, ridicule and derision……….
- Ready for a three-day week, Los Angeles? If Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has his way, that three-day week for “nonessential” city services is on the way. Villaraigosa has called for shutting down those services two days a week (in addition to the weekend) after Controller Wendy Greuel said the municipality’s cash may run out next month. Nothing like your city going broke, L.A. Services that don’t generate revenue would be the primary targets for the cutbacks. It seems like a drastic step, but when the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is on the verge of a negative credit rating watch, drastic measures are called for. The DWP took a hit last week when the city council voted to block a proposed electricity rate increase last week, depriving the department of potential new revenue. As for the negative credit rating watch, Fitch Ratings yesterday has withdrawn its AA- rating on $720 million of bonds the department planned to sell this month, and the sale, which included $616 million of taxable Build America obligations, has been postponed. The obvious question in regards to the planned cutbacks is which departments would be affected. In other words, will it be “Police Yourselves” days on Thursday and Friday in L.A.? Will citizens have to form bucket brigades and borrow hoses from neighbors to put out fires on Thursday afternoons? The answer to those questions, predictably, is no. Police and other public-safety departments in the southern California city wouldn’t be affected by Villaraigosa’s closure proposal. As for everyone else…..well, it’s hard to say. Los Angeles is the nation’s second-largest municipality by population and it is facing a $285 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year. No one is safe and city leaders clearly feel a need to roll services back to the absolute bare minimum. So get used to D.I.Y., L.A. residents. That means less time, money and energy for plastic surgery and shopping on Rodeo Drive and more time doing things that are essential…………
- Attention all GTL disciples and aspiring fist-pumpers: Jersey Shore wants you. Yes, an eight-pack of gel-haired, orange-skinned, stereotype-fulfilling tools is just not enough for MTV as the reality series prepares for its second season, bizarrely to be filmed in Miami. The network has put out a general casting call at jerseyshorecasting.com to entertain the possibility of new cast members for Season 2. "Killer shades, awesome hair, bandanas and bling can mean only one thing," the notice reads. "So if you're a tanned and toned fist pumper, and you love the shore, we want to hear from you! Do you dominate the gym, tear up the dance floor and rule the bedroom? Prove it!" Applicants are encouraged to “carry on the legacy," which means they must a) be at least 21, b) "appear to be younger than 30," c) send a video submission and d)fill out the application on the site. What legacy you would be carrying on, I don’t know. Something that has aired for all of one brief season doesn’t really have a legacy, per se, but whatever. The legacy of perpetuating offensive racial stereotypes, knocking fools out on the boardwalk with one shot kid, one shot, or maybe the legacy of being such a total and utter d-bag that you actually name your own abs. No word on whether potential applicants must also have a nickname for one of the muscle groups in their body, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. Among the questions on the application: "BRAG! What are your best assets? Physical, material and social" and "How do others show you respect? At the club, in the streets, in the gym etc.” Apply now and make it good, lest Ronnie or the Sitch catch wind of your lackluster application and come looking to knock you out……….
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