Pueblo Native Writing

Intentions are good, but. . .

Mar 9th 2010

By: John Meyer

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Palm Springs police officer honored for making 120 DUI arrests | mydesert.com | The Desert Sun

Palm Springs police officer Jennifer Kennedy was recognized Wednesday with an award for her 120 DUI arrests in 2009, according to the department.

Maybe I’m reading a little bit too much out of this and maybe the explanation got edited out of the article, but exactly why are they honoring her for arrests? Not convictions; arrests. I would hope that there is a little bit more to this than just her arrest record.

crime

DUI, officer
Actually he’s wrong

Mar 8th 2010

By: John Meyer

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FHP: Driver lacked razor-sharp focus | KeysNews.com

“She said she was meeting her boyfriend in Key West and wanted to be ready for the visit,” Trooper Gary Dunick said. “If I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have believed it. About 10 years ago I stopped a guy in the exact same spot … who had three or four syringes sticking out of his arm. It was just surreal and I thought, ‘Nothing will ever beat this.’ Well, this takes it.”

While it is fun to make fun of the pennis state for this sort of thing, the officer–with all due respect–is wrong. This could happen in any meth lab zone of any town in any state of the good old USA. A woman getting into an accident because she (and I use that term liberally) couldn’t wait to shave her snizz. A woman who wasn’t supposed to be driving, but was. With her ex-husband on her way to her boyfriend. Jerry Springer is somewhere beating his head against a desk cause he couldn’t keep his show on long enough to cover this train wreck.

And if you happen to want to know what this “delicate flower” looks like, wait no longer:

crime

distracted driving, DUI, dumb criminals, Florida, odd criminals
Thanks Gov and Thank you Amazon

Mar 8th 2010

By: John Meyer

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E-mail that I received from Amazon over the weekend:

Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate:

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to inform you that the Colorado government recently enacted a law to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules. The new regulations do not require online retailers to collect sales tax. Instead, they are clearly intended to increase the compliance burden to a point where online retailers will be induced to “voluntarily” collect Colorado sales tax — a course we won’t take.

We and many others strongly opposed this legislation, known as HB 10-1193, but it was enacted anyway. Regrettably, as a result of the new law, we have decided to stop advertising through Associates based in Colorado. We plan to continue to sell to Colorado residents, however, and will advertise through other channels, including through Associates based in other states.

There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.

You may express your views of Colorado’s new law to members of the General Assembly and to Governor Ritter, who signed the bill.

Your Associates account has been closed as of March 8, 2010, and we will no longer pay advertising fees for customers you refer to Amazon.com after that date. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to March 8, 2010, will be processed and paid in accordance with our regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of March 8, any final payments will be paid by May 31, 2010.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Colorado-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.

Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

So I have three people (well people and groups) to thank: Amazon for cutting me off with no warning and the Gov and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly for passing this law in the first place. All I can say at this point is vote the bums out and buy from Barnes and Noble. And I do not wish you the best in the future, Amazon. Unless you define “best” as your stock tanking faster than an AirFrance flight.

politics

Amazon, Colorado, Gov. Ritter, sales tax
Now what could possibly go wrong here?

Feb 27th 2010

By: John Meyer

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Soldier Arrested for Bringing Loaded Gun into Bar

Police say the suspect, 24-year-old Michael Spallone, an active duty U.S. Army soldier, was intoxicated and became angry at other patrons at the bar. Spallone had a loaded semi-automatic handgun with him and he made threats that he was going to kill some of the patrons. Some of his friends overheard the threats and notified security.

I’m a supporter of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. I support the right of adults to drink. What I do not support is people doing both things at the same time. If you’re loaded your gun shouldn’t be and vice versa. And if he did this there is no justification because he’s in the army. Quite the opposite. Since he’s in the army he should know better than to use guns like that.

guns

Colorado Springs, intoxicated, soldier
Congressman, congressman, congressman

Feb 26th 2010

By: John Meyer

No comments

There are some things in this world that you don’t lightly compare to other things. There are some things that set a new standard in good or in evil to where most comparisons fall flat on their face. Slavery is definitely one of those evil things. It doesn’t mean that you can’t make a comparison to them. It does mean that if you use them you had better be a damn fine orrator. Congressman Trent Franks is clearly not a fine orrator (or at least a good interviewee).

And before anybody jumps on me I know exactly what he was trying to say. I didn’t agree with it (after all, if 4,000 babies are being aborted each day that means 4,000 are being born and that seems like a low level). But I digress. Okay, state that “x amount of African Americans were killed during slavery a horrible time, and now x more are being killed right now”. Taht is the right way to do that. The wrong way to do it is to suggest that slavery was good or that African Americans had it good under slavery. That won’t work no matter how well you couch it.

politics

abortion, African American, slavery
Is this like practicing moderation in excess?

Feb 21st 2010

By: John Meyer

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Girl’s arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance – CNN.com

Kenneth Trump, a security expert who founded the National School Safety and Security Services consulting firm, said focusing on security is essential to the safety of other students. He said zero tolerance policies can work if “common sense is applied.”

Apparently, he doesn’t know what zero tolerance means. No common sense, no reasoning, no stepping back. Non, zero, whatsoever. You just throw the book at people blindly and say you were “only following orders” (a very successful defense, if I may say so myself).

The story itself is inane. The only real thing I have to wonder is exactly what was going through the officers minds when they put the handcuffs on the girl. That has to be a WTF moment.

education

zero tolerance
I’m going to ask something here

Feb 12th 2010

By: John Meyer

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Fuck you, Google « Fugitivus

You know who my third most frequent contact is?

My abusive ex-husband.

Which is why it’s SO EXCITING, Google, that you AUTOMATICALLY allowed all my most frequent contacts access to my Reader, including all the comments I’ve made on Reader items, usually shared with my boyfriend, who I had NO REASON to hide my current location or workplace from, and never did.

Sorry about the relationship, sorry about the abusive ex-husband. But why in the name of god are you contacting him through your e-mail address? You do know gmail accounts are free, right? You do know that you could just as easily set up a new account for your friends and family and either keep that one solely to contact your ex (if you must) or just delete it altogether?

Just my thoughts.

Uncategorized
What’s next, snow angels being charged as government sponsored support of Christianity?

Feb 11th 2010

By: John Meyer

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Felony Snowball Tossing Charges Lodged – February 9, 2010

I get where they may have wanted to charge these guys with something. I get this is not necessarily a case of zero tolerance run amok. I would imagine snowballs would provide somewhat of a distraction and a safety hazard and that people maliciously doing it should have to face up to consequences. Fine. But unless those snowballs contained C4 and nails the DA should charge it as a misdemeanor. Stupid decisions like this should not rise to the level where they effect the future of kids who haven’t even gotten out of college. Hit them with a disturbing the peace charge.
A bit of disclosure here: I know what it’s like to have an a-hole aim projectiles at me. One time, while walking home from KMart, I happened to get a bb right in the side of the stomach. It is not pleasant; not the worst thing in the world but still not pleasant. And no doubt if you had caught me at the point at which I had been shot my idea of a penalty would very much match this. I know, it’s apples to oranges. But cooler heads need to prevail. Even if the felony comes with probation (which I doubt would happen) it’s still a felony. It still impacts their fates for the rest of their lives.

Uncategorized

police, snowball
Here’s one good way to kill filibusters

Feb 10th 2010

By: John Meyer

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Deny the President his administration using a tactic that you yourself invoked in the process:

Ben Nelson To Filibuster Key Obama Labor Nominee – Yahoo! News

“Mr. Becker’s previous statements strongly indicate that he would take an aggressive personal agenda to the NLRB, and that he would pursue a personal agenda there, rather than that of the Administration,” said Senator Nelson. “This is of great concern, considering that the Board’s main responsibility is to resolve labor disputes with an even and impartial hand. In addition, the nominee’s statements fly in the face of Nebraska’s Right to Work laws, which have been credited in part with our excellent business climate that has attracted employers and many good jobs to Nebraska. Considering these matters, I will oppose the upcoming cloture motion and the nomination.”

Filibustering is kind of like jury nullification: there is a time and a place but you had better have a good excuse to use it. Otherwise you end up with tyranny of the minority. And I would not qualify a disagreement with a person’s private views a “good excuse,” to filibuster.

So this begs the question: if Sen. Nelson was so opposed to this man would he be opposed who had just as strong of opinions in the opposite direction? Somebody who had a history as a union busting advisor? While I would hope that he would based upon principle, I have a feeling that hope would be misplaced.

politics

filibuster, NLRB
Now this isn’t completely fair

Feb 7th 2010

By: John Meyer

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DUI BLOG: Legislators Vote Themselves Exempt From DUI Arrest

So….It’s ok for a politician to drive falling-down drunk on his way to work or back home. In fact, he’s given a free ride home — or to the capitol to cast an intoxicated vote. Who makes these crazy laws? Oh, right…the same politicians who are falling over each other to pass tougher drunk driving laws.

I get the distaste of the two-faced attitude of some of our lawmakers in passing laws, but the arrest exemption has a legitimate place in our society. One of the commenters made a point: without it, people could pull all sorts of shenanigans on lawmakers voting against or for certain interests. And if you say, "fine, if you’re a lawmaker don’t drink on the job," you really don’t know the power of an arrest without cause, even if it is called off later (say, after a crucial vote).

I know it doesn’t mean that lawmakers aren’t hypocrites, but there is at least a reason this time.

legislature

DUI, exemption
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