A Simple Solution to America’s Gun & Mass Shooting Problems

The Ingram MAC-11 (Military Armament Corporation Model 11), a defunct American small arms manufacturer, made this subcompact machine pistol developed during the 1970s. Shown here with 32-round capacity magazine, and suppressor.
Weight: 1.59 kg (3.50 lbs)
Length: 248 mm (9.76 in/20.90 in)
Barrel length: 129 mm
Cartridge: .380 ACP
Caliber: 9mm
Action: Straight Blowback
Rate of fire: 1200 /min
Muzzle velocity: 980 ft/s
Effective firing range: 50 m

There’s little debate of any significance about the problem of firearms in the hands of those who use them to commit heinous acts. This year alone, to date (as of this entry 27 August, the 239th day of 2015) there have been there have been:
248 Mass Shootings, with
313 Dead &
926 Wounded.

One only need type in ‘mass shootings’ in any search engine to find literally thousands upon thousands of news items, complete with details about this uniquely American problem. There is, however, significant and legitimate debate about how to ameliorate and stem the growing problem.

Some say no laws are needed, that LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers) need to enforce current laws. Others say outlaw guns completely. Somewhere, there is a “happy middle ground” of compromise to be found that protects our law-abiding citizens’ 2d Amendment Rights, and protects the innocent from miscreant would-be murderers and assailants.

I have a rather simple solution
to the
gun / mass shooting problem.

Meteorology, Mama & Baby -or- How I Was Befriended By Luck

It was Easter Sunday, 2010, and unknown to me, dumb luck had befriended me.

Pure dumb luck.

Even scientists believe in it.

In 1996, Duncan C. Blanchard, a meteorological researcher then affiliated with the State University of New York at Albany, authored a scientific paper entitled “Serendipity, Scientific Discovery, and Project Cirrus” published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society in which he cited Project Cirrus (1947-52), a period and project of research from which “many serendipitous discoveries and inventions were made, opening up areas of research still being pursued today.”

Blanchard’s work was cited a decade later in 2006 by David M. Schultz, who was then affiliated with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, and the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Oklahoma in a research paper entitled The Mysteries of Mammatus Clouds: Observations and Formation Mechanisms. In it he wrote that what little we know about mammatus clouds was, because of their nature, “obtained largely through serendipitous opportunities.”

In other words, what little we know about the clouds (so named after human breasts because of their appearance), has been obtained by pure dumb luck – although, being prepared, and being in the right place at the right time does account for something.

In conversation recently with a dear, and longtime friend, I shared about

Alabama State Senator Larry Stutts sued for malpractice… again

Alabama State Senator Larry Stutts has once again been named in another malpractice lawsuit in which a patient of his retained placental tissue, and suffered excessive bleeding following delivery of her baby.

The new case is oddly reminiscent of an older case in which Stutts was named defendant, in which his patient retained placental tissue and suffered excessive bleeding, and later died. The new case’s Plaintiff, Greta C. Cooper, did not die.

Read the PDF file of the 2015 Lawsuit against state Sen Larry Stutts

The suit alleges, among other things, that Stutts failed to order powerful antibiotics to be administered EXCLUSIVELY by Licensed Professional Nurses, and that two RNs with Gentiva Home Health Services in Russellville, Alabama, then taught the Plaintiff’s husband how to administer the medication, and that as a result of his failure to properly order, blood levels of the medication were also not taken which resulted in overdose toxicity.

Dr. Larry Stutts, DVM, MD (R), who was first a veterinarian, then became an Obstetrician/Gynecologist (OBGYN), upset 32-year veteran Alabama Senate District 6 State Senator Roger Bedford (D) by 67 votes in the 2014 November General Election. Stutts is also president of Colbert Obstetrics and Gynecology, PC (his private medical practice), located at 1120 S Jackson Hwy #104, Sheffield, AL 35660, (256) 386-0855.

Alabama District 6 State Senator Dr. Larry Stutts, DVM, MD

Alabama State Senate District 6 encompasses all of Franklin County, and portions of Colbert, Marion, Lauderdale and Lawrence Counties in NW Alabama.

Interestingly, Sutts wasn’t the GOP’s original candidate for the Senate District 6 race. Jerry Mays was the original GOP candidate, but dropped out of the primary. In response to Mays’ decision, on March 20, 2014, State Republican Party Chairman Bill Armistead announced that the Alabama Republican Party Candidate Committee had met and named Larry Stutts, who resides in Tuscumbia, to replace Mays candidacy. Stutts had never been in any elected political office.

Stutts is the same physician who was years earlier named in another lawsuit in which his patient Rose Church – a newlywed, and healthy 36-year-old Registered Nurse – died, which in turn,

All You Need Is Love

I recollect, a few years ago, having gone with a dear friend to the apartment where her former husband lived.

He had died alone.

D’Angelo (not his real name) was a retired Army NCO, whom had volunteered for service. He was genuinely a “squared away” soldier, and rose to the rank of First Sergeant (E-8), which rank is politely nicknamed “Top,” because, aside from Sergeant Major which is also an E-8 position, it is the highest rank and position a NCO can obtain.

His generosity was well-known, and his humility, honesty and genuine love for his fellow man was evident throughout his life. And though he was a good man with many admirable character qualities, a congenial fellow, well liked – even loved – by many, it seemed he never could win the battle over the bottle.

What little I knew of him from others’ reports and my own limited interaction with him, he was an honorable family man. And yet,

On the Bleeding Edge of the Front Line

Uncle Dean never spoke to his blood relatives about his WWII service – even though they inquired – which was for them, perplexing, and they eventually stopped asking. However, he voluntarily spoke at length about it with me.

Perhaps it was because we shared a common bond of military service, I don’t know. They never understood why he didn’t talk about his experience. His Purple Hearts, Bronze and Silver Stars, and other medals of valor that

Portraits of Four Scumbag Losers, One of Whom is Dead

Owens Cross Roads Homeowner Kills 1 During Home Invasion, 3 Accomplices Charged with Murder

By Crystal Bonvillian | cbonvillian@al.com
Follow @C_Bonvillian on Twitter
on February 11, 2015 at 2:24 PM, updated February 12, 2015 at 11:46 AM

DECEASED – Richard William Taylor, 42, was killed by a homeowner when, earlier in the day, under a ruse to use the homeowner’s telephone, he and three accomplices later broke into the home at night… and was then shot & killed by the homeowner as they broke into the home. May the shithead rot in HADES, and may his grave be urinated upon by mangy coyotes. Scumbag Piece Of Shit

Richard William Taylor was slain Monday as he attempted a home invasion in Owens Cross Roads, according to investigators, and his three accomplices have been charged with murder in his death.

Audra Anderson Ikard, 42, was the girlfriend of the DECEASED. Too bad she wasn’t killed, too. Ugly skank.

None of the three pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Taylor, 42, but they are all being held responsible for his slaying. Those arrested are Jeremy Floyd Jones, 29; Audra Lynn Anderson Ikard, 42; and Brandi Michelle Seagroves, 26.

Ikard was Taylor’s girlfriend, said Sgt. Brian Chaffin of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

All three are charged with murder, robbery, burglary and criminal mischief in the case. Jones is also charged with theft of property stemming from a similar incident the week before.

Chaffin said the foursome went to the home of the victim, located in the 100 block of Plainview Drive, earlier in the day on Monday asking to use her phone. She refused to let them inside.

100 block of Plainview Drive, Owens Cross Roads, AL – Approximate area of the break-in

They returned around 9:30 p.m. that night and forced their way in, Chaffin said.

A Few Thoughts on #Suicide Following Robin Williams’ Death

The very fact that people care enough to attempt to prevent others’ suicide is evidence enough that 1.) People care, and; 2.) Life is worth saving.

So let’s talk about it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 (the most recent year for which data are available), 39,518 suicides were reported, which makes suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. That year, someone in the United States died by suicide every 13.3 minutes.

Expressed another way, 790 people in each of the 50 states died from suicide in 2011. That’s 2 per day, per state… every day, all year long.

And because of rounding to the closest whole number, 3018 are completely overlooked.

In 2005, there were more deaths by suicide than homicide.

In 2010, there were more deaths by suicide than those involving automobile wrecks.

In 2009, the United States Army identified that deaths from suicide by military veterans of the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan were

Philip Lutzenkirchen Autopsy: Blood Alcohol Content 0.377

This is indeed tragic news, a permanent stain of shame awash a wave of indignation.

To put things in perspective, Blood Alcohol Content is expressed in percentages and abbreviated as BAC. In medical terminology, it measures a concentration ratio of blood to ethanol alcohol (beverage alcohol).

So, BAC of 0.10 (which is 0.10%, or one tenth of one percent) would be written as BAC 0.1, and would mean there is 0.10 g (gram) of alcohol present in every deciLiter (dL) of blood.

So in other words, with a BAC of 0.377 Mr. Lutzenkirchen was EXCEEDINGLY DRUNK, quite possibly even to the point of alcoholic toxicosis (alcohol poisoning), and very possibly, unconsciousness.

There is no doubt he was a beloved collegiate athletic figure.

For him to die in such an undignified manner… I have no words.

There are four very sorrowful lessons which may be learned in this tragedy:
1.) FRONT OR BACK, ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT;
2.) NEVER EVER DRIVE INTOXICATED;
3.) NEVER EVER ALLOW ANYONE INTOXICATED TO DRIVE, and;
4.) NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT RIDING WITH AN INTOXICATED DRIVER.

***

UPDATE: Friday, 08August2014; Add Linked Story

Philip Lutzenkirchen, aged 23, Auburn University great Tight End #43 & Ian Davis, U of Georgia athlete killed in wreck ejection

—

Philip Lutzenkirchen and driver were legally drunk in deadly crash, according to toxicology report

By Brandon Marcello | bmarcello@al.com
@bmarcello on Twitter
on August 06, 2014 at 9:45 AM, updated August 06, 2014 at 10:29 AM

AUBURN, Alabama – Former Auburn star Philip Lutzenkirchen and the driver of the vehicle that crashed on June 30 and resulted in their deaths were both legally drunk, according to documents released Wednesday.

Wesleyan’s Ian Davis (5) steals second base in a game vs. Greater Atlanta Christian School on March 25, 2008, in Norcross. (Jason Getz / AJC) Davis was the driver of a vehicle in a multiple-fatality crash in the early morning hours of June 29, 2014. The vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign and traveled approximately 451 feet before overturning several times in a church yard, according to Georgia State Patrol. Davis and former Auburn Tigers tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen died in the crash. Photo by Jason Getz.

Joseph Ian Davis, the driver, registered a blood alcohol content level of

To What Extent is the American Economy Propped Up by Arms Sales?

What should one expect when the whole damn defense industry has been whored out to arm the krazees of the world?

In a very prophetic manner, in his Farewell Address to the nation, January 17, 1961, then-President Dwight David Eisenhower warned about the “military industrial complex,” saying:

“We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United State corporations.

“This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence-economic, political, even spiritual-is felt in every city, every state house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

“We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

—

US sells $11 BILLION worth of arms to Qatar

Published time: July 15, 2014 09:46
Edited time: July 16, 2014 12:55

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (L) and Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs Hamad bin Ali al-Atiyah (C) arrive for a weapons sales signing ceremony at the Pentagon on July 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. (AFP Photo / Mandel Ngan)

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (L) and Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense Affairs Hamad bin Ali al-Atiyah (C) arrive for a weapons sales signing ceremony at the Pentagon on July 14, 2014 in Washington, DC. (AFP Photo / Mandel Ngan)

Washington and Doha have signed the largest arms deal of the year, preparing to enhance Qatar’s military capabilities with $11 billion-worth of Apache assault helicopters, PAC-2 missile defense complexes and Javelin man-portable anti-tank missiles.

The deal has been signed on Monday in Pentagon by US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Qatari Defense Minister Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah. Altogether Qatar is buying 10 batteries of Patriot missile defense systems and 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles manufactured by US defense industry giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, and 24 Apache helicopters made by Boeing, an anonymous US official told the AFP.

Philip Lutzenkirchen, aged 23, Auburn University great Tight End #43 & Ian Davis, U of Georgia athlete killed in wreck ejection

May he rest in peace, and his memory be blessed.

EVEN AS PASSENGERS – FRONT OR REAR – WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS!!!

***

UPDATE: Friday, 08August2014

Philip Lutzenkirchen Autopsy: Blood Alcohol Content 0.377

—

AUBURN, Ala. — Former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen died in a wreck early Sunday morning outside of LaGrange, Ga.

He was 23.

Lutzenkirchen’s fatal accident occurred in Troup County, just southeast of LaGrange, at approximately 3:06 a.m. Sunday morning, according to Master Trooper B.N. Talley of the Georgia State Patrol, who responded to the scene.

“It happened at the intersection of Upper Big Springs Road and Lower Big Springs Road,” Talley said. “The vehicle was a 2006 Chevy Tahoe and the driver missed a stop sign at the intersection of those two roads, which is more or less a ‘T-intersection.’ They traveled through the intersection off into a churchyard. They were out of control for about 450 feet.”

General area of crash, where Auburn University football great Philip Lutzenkirchen was killed

Specific location crash site

Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen (43) spins a football during Auburn’s first Spring practice of the 2012 season, Friday March 23, 2012 in Auburn, Ala.
(AP Photo/The Birmingham News, Hal Yeager)

Auburn H-Back Philip Lutzenkirchen (43) stretches with teammates before the Chick-fil-A Bowl game in the Georgia Dome Saturday night in Atlanta, Ga., December 31, 2011. Lutzenkirchen is a native of Marietta, graduating from Lassiter High School.
AJC photo by Jason Getz

At that point, Talley said, the vehicle overturned, ejecting three of the four passengers.

“Philip was one of them,” Talley said,” and he was killed at the scene.”

The driver of the vehicle, Joseph Davis, was also killed.

Lutzenkirchen, who was seated behind Davis, was not wearing his seat belt. Talley said they “are still looking into” how fast the vehicle was traveling when it ran through the stop sign.

Updates to come.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/06/29/3177530/breaking-former-auburn-tight-end.html?sp=/99/210/

—

Impact location – Google Maps
https://goo.gl/maps/WJl8b

Google Earth
http://j.mp/1mbxzMR

—

Auburn great Philip Lutzenkirchen killed in car accident

By Wesley Sinor | wsinor@al.com

Follow on Twitter
on June 29, 2014 at 12:09 PM, updated June 29, 2014 at 12:51 PM

Former Auburn star Philip Lutzenkirchen has died in a car accident Sunday morning, AL.com has confirmed.

According to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, the accident occurred at 3:06 a.m. in Troup County outside of LaGrange, Ga.

“The vehicle was a 2006 Chevy Tahoe and the driver missed a stop sign at the intersection of those two roads, which is more or less a ‘T-intersection,'” said Master Trooper B.N. Talley of the Georgia State Patrol. “They traveled through the intersection off into a churchyard. They were out of control for about 450 feet.”

According to Talley, the vehicle then overturned and ejected three of the four passengers, including Lutzenkirchen, who was killed at the scene.

The 23-year-old from Marietta, Ga., was one of the most popular Auburn players in recent history. He ranks first in touchdowns by a tight end in school history with 14 from 2009 to 2012.

Lutzenkirchen saw his collegiate career end after suffering a major hip injury against Ole Miss in 2012. He signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis in April 2013, but was released four months later due to the lingering injury that eventually required surgery.After hanging up the cleats, Lutzenkirchen had been working at a wealth management company in Montgomery and volunteering with the football team at St. James School in Montgomery. St. James head coach Jimmy Perry confirmed the news of his death with AL.com.

Several of Lutzenkirchen’s coaches, teammates and fans have shared their condolences after hearing the news.

Ohio Farmer Shoots, Kills Sugar Creek Ohio Girl, Claims he thought she was a “Groundhog”

From our

“Are you an absolute moron?”

files comes this item:

“Groundhog Girl” is Sugar Creek, Ohio Shooting Victim

Ohio Farmer Claims He Mistook Young Girl for a Groundhog, and Shot Her

If you have EVER taken a hunter gun safety course, or been in the military, one the CARDINAL RULES is, If you don’t have a clear view of what you’re aiming at, DO NOT SHOOT.

In fact, Remington Firearms calls it the:

4th Commandment of Firearm Safety Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it. You can’t stop a shot in mid-air, so do not fire unless you know exactly where your shot is going and what it will strike. Never fire at a sound, a movement or a patch of color. A hunter in camouflage can easily be mistaken for a target by an impulsive shooter. Before you pull the trigger be absolutely sure of your target and what’s behind it. Make sure your shot has a backstop such as a hillside or dense material like sand. Remember, bullets can travel great distances with tremendous velocity. Know how far your shot will go if you miss your target or the bullet ricochets.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation similarly ascribes it as the 4th most important rule, and writes:

4. Be Sure Of Your Target And What’s Beyond It

No one can call a shot back. Once a gun fires, you have given up all control over where the shot will go or what it will strike. Don’t shoot unless you know exactly what your shot is going to strike. Be sure that your bullet will not injure anyone or anything beyond your target. Firing at a movement or a noise without being absolutely certain of what you are shooting at constitutes disregard for the safety of others. No target is so important that you cannot take the time before you pull the trigger to be absolutely certain of your target and where your shot will stop.

Be aware that even a 22 short bullet can travel over 11/4 miles and a high velocity cartridge, such as a 30-06, can send its bullet more than 3 miles. Shotgun pellets can travel 500 yards, and shotgun slugs have a range of over half a mile.

You should keep in mind how far a bullet will travel if it misses your intended target or ricochets in another direction.

 

The Texas State Parks & Wildlife Department says similarly, and names that principle as 3d most important by writing:

• Be sure of your target and what is in front of and beyond your target.
  Before you pull the trigger you must properly identify game animals. Until your target is fully visible and in good light, do not even raise your scope to see it. Use binoculars! Know what is in front of and behind your target. Determine that you have a safe backstop or background. Since you do not know what is on the other side, never take a shot at any animals on top of ridges or hillsides. Know how far bullets, arrows and pellets can travel. Never shoot at flat, hard surfaces, such as water, rocks or steel because of ricochets.

In fact, the oft-reviled National Rifle Association (NRA) says the exact same thing:

• Know your target and what is beyond.
  Be absolutely sure you have identified your target beyond any doubt. Equally important, be aware of the area beyond your target. This means observing your prospective area of fire before you shoot. Never fire in a direction in which there are people or any other potential for mishap. Think first. Shoot second.

—

Man thinks woman is groundhog in tall grass, shoots her

Kristin Anderson, WKYC
1852 EDT May 8, 2014

SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP, Stark County, Ohio —

On the <LEFT< is a rodent commonly known as a “groundhog,” or “woodchuck,” which scientific name is Marmota monax. It’s length approximates between 18-30 inches, walks on four legs, though it may stand when alerted, and weighs between 5-10 pounds. It is further characterized by dense, brown to gray colored fur.
On the >RIGHT> is a human being, a young lady (now deceased, and about whom this story is written), which scientific name is homo sapiens. She obviously has long blonde colored hair, no fur, stands approximately 5 feet tall, weighs at least 100 pounds, and walks on two legs.
Closely examine the two images, and tell me you could “mistake” one for the other.

A 22-year-old woman from New Philadelphia is dead after a farmer mistakenly shot her thinking she was a groundhog in the tall grass.

The shooting happened Monday in Sugar Creek Township in Stark County.

Sheriff George Maier says

Oklahoma Botches Execution Attempt, Convict Dies of Heart Attack

There is probably little sympathy for a man who is a convicted murderer & rapist.

And without commentary on the merits of the Death Penalty, however, I hasten to add this: If the state is going to kill a man as punishment for his crime, they should ensure the means of death is swift and efficient. For if it is not, it opens the state to liability and potential prosecution for torture.

Ours is a civil society, and the civility of it’s citizens in matters of criminal penalty ensures that society does not fundamentally break down into chaos and disorder.

***

Oklahoma Postpones Execution After First Is Botched

By ERIK ECKHOLMAPRIL 29, 2014

Clayton D. Lockett, left, died of a heart attack Tuesday after his execution was halted in Oklahoma. A second execution, that of Charles F. Warner, right, was then stayed. Credit Oklahoma Department of Correction

Oklahoma Department of Corrections Death Penalty

 McALESTER, Okla. — What was supposed to be the first of two executions here Tuesday night was halted when the prisoner, Clayton D. Lockett, began to twitch and gasp after he had already been declared unconscious and called out “man” and “something’s wrong,” according to witnesses.

The administering doctor intervened and discovered that “the line had blown,” said the director of corrections, Robert Patton, meaning that drugs were no longer flowing into his vein.

At 7:06 p.m., Mr. Patton said, Mr. Lockett died of a heart attack.

Mr. Patton said he had requested a stay of 14 days in the second execution scheduled for Tuesday night, of Charles F. Warner.

It was a chaotic and disastrous step in Oklahoma’s long effort to execute the two men, overcoming their objections that the state would not disclose the source of the drugs being used in a newly tried combination.

It did not appear that any of the drugs themselves failed, but rather the method of administration, but it resulted in what witnesses called an agonizing scene.

“This was botched, and it was difficult to watch,” said David Autry, one of Mr. Lockett’s lawyers.

A doctor started to administer the first drug, a sedative intended to knock the man out, at 6:23. Ten minutes later, the doctor said that Mr. Lockett was unconscious, and started to administer the next two drugs, a paralytic and one intended to make the heart stop.

At that point, witnesses said, things began to go awry. Mr. Lockett’s body

Top Hitler Aide’s Diary Found

I reiterate:
1.) The only good Nazi, is a dead Nazi.
2.) Once a Nazi, always a Nazi.

—

Exclusive: U.S. finds long-lost diary of top Nazi leader, Hitler aide

By John Shiffman
Sun Jun 9, 2013; 7:59pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The government has recovered 400 pages from the long-lost diary of Alfred Rosenberg, a confidant of Adolf Hitler who played a central role in the extermination of millions of Jews and others during World War Two.

A preliminary U.S. government assessment reviewed by Reuters asserts the diary could offer new insight into meetings Rosenberg had with Hitler and other top Nazi leaders, including Heinrich Himmler and Herman Goering. It also includes details about the German occupation of the Soviet Union, including plans for mass killings of Jews and other Eastern Europeans.

“The documentation is of considerable importance for the study of the Nazi era, including the history of the Holocaust,” according to the assessment, prepared by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. “A cursory content analysis indicates that the material sheds new light on a number of important issues relating to the Third Reich’s policy. The diary will be

How much is enough? A guide to dissatisfaction & satiety.

Late Southern humorist & columnist Lewis Grizzard once wrote a book entitled “Elvis is dead, and I don’t feel so good myself.” The title seems apropos, especially since economics is colloquially known as “the dismal science.” 

Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev at United Nations

And then, there’s former Soviet Union premier Nikita Khrushchev who once famously said during the early stages of the Cold War in 1956, “We will bury you!”

Either way, it means somebody’s gonna’ die.

Considering the implications, however, I ask these questions:

How many beds can a man sleep in at once? How many meals does he need before he is full? In how many cars can he ride at once? In how many showers can he bathe at once? How many shoes can he wear at once? In how many houses can he live at once?

How much is enough?

—

A pessimist’s guide to the Great Recession

Review by Ferdinando Giugliano
June 9, 2013 4:36 pm
A provocative critique of policy makers’ response to the economic crisis

When the Money Runs Out: The End of Western Affluence,
by Stephen King, Yale University Press, RRP£20/RRP$30

Academic debates over the right policy response are one of the few abundant commodities during an economic crisis. Just as in the 1930s and 1970s, the financial crisis that began in the late 2000s has divided economists into two camps. The neo-Keynesian troops have

Research: Lowering BAC to .05 will NOT reduce traffic deaths

We’re now hearing the drumbeat to lower the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) from 0.08 to 0.05.

However, research by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) shows in 2008, the MAJORITY of drivers involved in fatal crashes in ALL 50 states had 0% BAC.

Put another way, in the MAJORITY of ALL traffic fatalities in ALL 50 states, the drivers were TOTALLY SOBER.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Suicide, Libertarianism, and Religion -or- Why “No man is an island.”

FACT:
Las Vegas has the highest metropolitan suicide rate in the U.S.

“I’ll add that there’s one more feature here, of Las Vegas, which I think bears mentioning. And that is what I kinda’ think of as a sort of “frontier culture” mentality among residents, and I think, even among visitors.

“That Las Vegas is this sort of place of place of total license. You know… its the ‘Wild West,’ it’s an open frontier for all kinds of immorality and exploration of vice, and… the entire self-branding of Las Vegas as this place where that is not only tolerated, but actually sanctioned.

“You know, the “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” kind of mentality – produces, I think, a kind of… sort of libertarian ethos of ‘go it alone, do it yourself.’ And help seeking in this sort of framework is perhaps not accepted or valorized the way it is other parts of the country.

“These kind of cultural arguments are always very hard to make. They always sound deeply unscientific. But, in a lot ways, I think that’s exactly where a lot of the explanatory power comes from… is in this understanding the culture and values underlying people’s behavioral sense.”

– Matt Wray, sociologist, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and co-author of a 2008 paper entitled “Leaving Las Vegas: Exposure to Las Vegas and Risk of Suicide” / excerpted from Freakonomics Radio, episode #92 “Gambling With Your Life,” released April 27, 2011

Of late, attention has been increasingly given to the suicide rate of veterans returning home from the horrors of war in the Middle East, specifically, from their numerous extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While in retrospect, many acknowledge that

Alabama is USA’s 2d most religious state

Alabama also ranks up there in poverty, divorce, sexually transmitted diseases, lack of a high school education, spousal abuse, and…

Thank God for Mississippi, eh?

—

Gallup: Alabama 2nd most religious state in America

By George Talbot | gtalbot@al.com
on February 17, 2013 at 10:51 AM, updated February 17, 2013 at 12:31 PM

Alabama ranked as the nation’s second most religious state in 2012, behind Mississippi and tied with Utah, according to a new survey by Gallup.

The Washington, D.C.-based polling firm found that 56 percent of Alabama residents identified themselves as “very religious” – based on saying religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week.

Alabama trailed only Mississippi, its Deep South neighbor, where

Reasoned Debate: Our Second Amendment Rights & Preventing Firearm Violence

Alabama State House GOP “Dare Defend Our Rights” gun logo, from the FaceBook page of Speaker of the Alabama House of Representatives Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn

Recently in another Social Media forum, a long-time friend had posted a link to a site operated for the Alabama State House GOP faction, which is a so-called “supermajority” in that state’s elected legislative body. That site may be found here: http://ALHouseGOP.com/WeDareDefend/.

Perceiving that that those political ideologues were very likely drumming up support for their positions based upon pure emotion and fear, rather than reasoned, rational and informed debate, I initially responded by quickly writing a somewhat sarcastic response, precisely worded to give pause for thought. My initial response elicited a query, to which I delightfully replied more eruditely.

The exchange as it exists presently, now follows.

• Me: Yeah. Alabama was wrong on their right to segregation and their right to deny civil rights, too.

• My friend: So, do you support the

An International Dialogue on the Recent Tragedy of an English Nurse’s Suicide

Over the past year, I have established friendship with a young man whom is an Irish resident. We share several common interests, among them our religious faith – we are both Catholic – and the creative arts – he is an active musician, while my musical talents & skills have taken a respite.

Recently, on his FaceBook page, he had shared a news story, which was in response to the news of the tragedy of the suicide of the English Nurse who had been involved in an international prank, and later found to have committed suicide.

While the volume of dialogue was principally between he and I, there were other respondents, some of whom were situated on the opposite side of the globe, in the Southern hemisphere, in Australia, where the prank originated.

As I returned to the post to read the other responses, it occurred to me that they were civil in tenor, and it was that aspect of the dialogue which was perhaps the most enjoyable, and which – as I perceive it – has remained sorely absent in many so-called online “forums.” The lack of civility has also taken a toll in politics, even on a worldwide basis. And that loss of civility is wholly and entirely regrettable.

So, it is because of the presence of civility – which is an acknowledgement of respect for another person, even though there may be vastly differing perspectives – that I wish to share the dialogue. For respect of others’ privacy, and because their identities are not germane to the topic, their names are redacted.

Young Irish Male: ‎Female 1, we were just talking about pranksters last week and how pranks really can destroy a persons life. This is just one example. Very sad story.

Nurse who took Kate prank call at hospital found dead
www.independent.ie
KATE Middleton said she was deeply saddened yesterday by the apparent suicide of a nurse who fell victim to a hoax during her stay in hospital.

Female 1: Oh i know..isn’t that just terrible! I put a video on just last week…i don’t know if it was real or not but it showed

UK Nurse Punk’d on Royal Family Pregnancy Commits Suicide

While it was meant all in harmless fun, I sincerely doubt that the individual’s response  – to commit suicide – was anything other than an inappropriate response to jesting in good-hearted intent.

It is indeed tragic that the nurse committed suicide.

Perhaps there were other underlying issues, or an inability to cope that predicated her distressing response.

One simply cannot hold others responsible for everything. As tragic as this story is, one must accept responsibility for one’s own actions.

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December 7, 2012

Prank Call Seeking Royal Family Secrets Takes Horrifying Turn

By SARAH LYALL

LONDON — As pranks go, this one appeared outrageous and obnoxious rather than malicious: after convincing a hospital nurse who answered the phone this week that they were Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, two Australian radio hosts then tricked another nurse into disclosing medical information about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge, who had been admitted with acute morning sickness.

The call was broadcast on Australia radio; then it went out around the world.

But the stunt took a horrific and unexpected turn on Friday, when the nurse who answered the call, 46-year-old Jacintha Saldanha, was found dead, an apparent suicide.

The Metropolitan Police would not release details of the death, except to say that they had received a call reporting that there was an unconscious woman at Weymouth Street, in central London, and two ambulance crews had arrived to find Mrs. Saldanha already dead. A police spokesman said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

It was unclear what exactly had happened since the prank itself to make Mrs. Saldanha, who was reportedly married and had two children, take her life. King Edward VII’s Hospital, where she worked, said it had not disciplined her, but rather had been “supporting her during this difficult time.” Nor, apparently, had the royal family raised a fuss with the hospital, an exclusive private institution that has long been the hospital of choice for Britain’s royals.

“At no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident,” a spokesman for St. James’s Palace said. “On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and the hospital staff at all times.”

The turn of events was seen as so shocking that it provoked a response from even the prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, who called it “a terrible tragedy.”

Whatever the immediate impetus for Mrs. Saldanha’s death, the episode was