Ooops, Boeing!

Where are the Boeing fanboys now?

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the immediate temporary halt of U.S. Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner flights on Wednesday, saying it requires a "corrective action plan" before flights can resume—and hasn't released a timetable for when that might happen.

Guess not only Airbus screws up from time to time, eh?

Domestication of The People

Yeah, it's in the news all over the world: another mass shooting in the USA that left 12 people dead and something like 60 injured.

But there's something I noticed about almost all of these mass-shootings - Columbine, Virginia Tech, Utoya (Norway) and now Aurora: nobody seems to have died while attacking or otherwise confronting the shooter.

In fact I can recall only one person, an elderly professor, who was killed at Virginia Tech while trying to stop the shooter from entering a classroom. Of course, if you know more stories of people who fought back please let me know and set me straight.

Almost nobody, of hundreds if not thousands of people forced in a fight-or-flee situation, fought back. Many tried to flee, but I've also seen several stories of people  - especially in school massacres - who simply cowered underneath or behind some obstacle and waited for death to come and take them, or ignore them.

True that attacking a mad gunman can get you killed, but you may even win. While cowering in fear in front of someone determined to kill you will surely get you killed.

What does this tell me? That the domestication of the people has gone quite far: after generations being told that violence is always wrong and fighting back against an attacker makes you as bad as him, we get people unable to fight back even when their lives are in imminent danger.

Or you have other founded opinions?

The Conspiracy that Is

You rember Fast and Furious? No, not the car action movie but this story:

[...]a botched gun-tracking operation that sent thousands of high-powered firearms to Mexico in the hands of known or suspected straw buyers for drug cartels.

Many people asked themselves how could it happen. Was the ATF so incompetent that they utterly screwed up a tracking operation? Was Holder, Attorney General truly in the dark regarding an operation of this type and size?

Or there were darker reasons behind letting weapons fall into criminal hands?

As much as I despise the conspirational mindset, this time it seems that the second option is correct. For reasons like this, from the same article:

[...]Instead of taking him to task for Operation Fast and Furious, Democratic lawmakers have tried to draw attention to what they describe as the country’s weak network of gun laws.

And this:

Democratic lawmakers contend that Operation Fast and Furious exemplifies the need to strengthen U.S. gun laws to give federal law enforcement officials more tools to prosecute criminal weapon traffickers.

“This hunt for blame doesn’t really speak about the problem,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein at a recent Senate Judiciary hearing while discussing Fast and Furious.

“And the problem is, anybody can walk in and buy anything, .50-caliber weapons, sniper weapons, buy them in large amounts, and send them down to Mexico. So, the question really becomes, what do we do about this?”

Yes indeed, I think some fears are confirmed: supplying Mexican drug lords with firearms bought in America was intended to provide ammunition for those demanding tighter gun control.

But the scandal blew up... yet, politicians are the most bald-faced liars and the likes of Feinstein just keep charging on like nothing happened. Like it wasn't ATF agents themselves who bent and broke rules to buy the guns, and delivered them into criminal hands.

Domestic Accidents

I managed to nearly destroy my left shoulder by bumping into an open door - meaning, I got distracted and hit the narrow side of the door at full speed and shoulder-first.

And now it hurts pretty much like fuck, when I lift my arm.

But Do Not Call Them Scaremongers

A gem of global warming hysteria from WUWT:

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Reasonable worst-case scenarios for global warming could lead to deadly temperatures for humans in coming centuries, according to research findings from Purdue University and the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Researchers for the first time have calculated the highest tolerable “wet-bulb” temperature and found that this temperature could be exceeded for the first time in human history in future climate scenarios if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate.

Yeah, "reasonable worst-case scenarios" in "coming centuries". I'm so scared right now.

I can't really fault those who are mad at supposed scientist spewing alarmist crap when, well, supposed scientists DO spew alarmist crap.

Salvation Is Worth That

LabRat writes:

The more they bang the “they’re actually all RACISTS so you should hate and shun them!” drum, the more it comes off sounding like “We suspect everybody not of our social and economic class of being racists- including you. And we hate you, too. Vote for us!”

And this made me think. Why someone would vote for a party being so condenscing and sanctimonious? Nobody would.

Unless...

The party is bringing salvation. I suspect that many on the left see themselves as saviors of humanity and the Earth and whatever else. And showing a man his evil ways is not thep rettiest of business; it may take some harsh words and deeds. But once that man will see the light, he will be saved and he'll relize that the harsh treatment was only for his own salvation.

So they don't see that as being insulting or hateful, but as showing someone's evil ways in the hope they will abandon those. What a mass movement craves the most is new members, and converts from the enemies' ranks are the most delightful.

Prophecy Is a Mean Job

More than one year ago in these very pages I wrote:

If these comments are indicative of any trend, we're seeing a new spin being put on current events. The achievements in Iraq cannot be ignored at this point, but they are not credited to George Bush. In fact, it is stated that those achievements came only when finally Bush left the helm to others.

Well, a few days ago - via The Rottweiler - I learned that:

On Larry King Live last night, Vice President Joe Biden said Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government."

Prophetic indeed, I was.

And Now For Something funny

The commenters at Belmont Club are usually of above-average quality, but there is one particular nutcase that always cracks me up. One of his latest... elucubrations, for lack of a better term.

Women and homosexuals need to be loved so they can expose themselves to the will of men. This need to be loved is pushed by both parties and imposed upon men as a passive aggressive attack on the male gender. I think gender studies and climate studies are rightfully taken together. Energy is power and men have always sought it. The AGW crowd wants you filthy men to put a condom on and stop breathing. They want us to bend-over to their will. Regardless of their motivations their tactics would not work at all if we were not worried what a bunch of euro-fhags thought. Caring is a social disease that one gets from fine young cannibals. Why should they try to compete when they can turn their advisories compassion against them.

The Russians and the Chinese are secretly laughing at us and will promise to get on their all-fours and arch their backs waiting to be mounted by the girly men of the effete western elite, but only after WE humiliate ourselves. I would like to live in a country where euro’s are not allowed visas, perhaps in the post-apocalyptic Texas, until then, you’re all owed a very bloody nose.

“Can’t we all get along? “ No sir, we can’t.

Ain't this so cute? He never contributes anything useful except this type of comments.

Internet Groupies

Still pretty fresh, from LGF:

That we Lizards are somehow mindless rubes waiting for marching orders. I think what's really going on here is jealousy. LGF has one of the most intelligent comment sections of any blog. That LGF would appeal to the intelligent, and we would desire to comment here. It's not enough to smear Charles, they have to further it by smearing his audience, because if word got out LGF was the place for intelligent debate- people might come look and see for themselves, only to discover it's true.

Yes, so intelligent that you may see for yourself. Only to discover that in the very thread from where the comment is excerpted the two or three dissenters from Charles' party line the consensus received only snark, condenscending replies and massive negative ratings.

No, the dissenters were not ranting white supremacists, but only people who respectfully disagreed with the label "racist" being applied to anyone not meeting Charles' standards of perfection. A comment was deleted and the user banned without appeal for narrating unpleasant experiences with black kids on the public transport of Washington DC.

Many call today's members of LGF sycophants, but I think they're even lower that that. Most of them today are no more than groupies.

Unlikely Extraordinary Ability

Another of the many stupid assumptions of the conspirational mindset is that the military/CIA are almost omnipotent: they have the latest technology, almost unlimited freedom of action anywhere anytime and evil yet cunning planners showing extraordinary creativity and the capacity to foresee any possible contingence.

Well, baloney.

In war, it is not the best and brightest side that becomes the winner, but rather the one that makes less and less catastrophic mistakes. Winners write history and we tend to forget the flaws of the succesful, but the reality is that many battles were won (or lost) out of sheer luck; or because an incompetent commander met an even dumber one; for pride or vanity or even madness; unimaginative officials wasted liberally men and materiel and won only because they had nearly nearly-limitless supplies of both, and on and on.

But if that's not enough, ponder this: the expression SNAFU - Situation Normal, All Fucked Up - was born in military circles. Granted that soldiers have a thing for dark humor, but that does not sound exactly like the description of a hyper-efficient machine.

For every soldier fighting on the battlefield there are many more involved in logistics and maintenance and bureaucracy. And bureaucracies can be many things, but they are not flexible, creative, dynamic or decisive.

Monday Night Music

To keep with the ongoing theme of "I'm not fucking inspired to write anything of substance because I'd rather mount a bitchin' minigun* on a harley and go Mad Max", here's some rocking music for my readers.

First, something about a girl with a little extra padding but other virtues...



Wanna tell you a story
'Bout a woman I know
When it comes to lovin'
Oh she steals the show
She ain't exactly pretty
Ain't exactly small
Forty-two, thirty-nine, fifty-six
You could say she's got it all
Never had a woman
Never had a woman like you
Doing all the things
Doing all the things you do
Ain't no fairy story
Ain't no skin and bone
But you give it all you got
Weighing in at nineteen stone
CHORUS:
You're a whole lotta woman
A whole lotta woman
Whole lotta Rosie
And you're a whole lotta woman
Oh honey you can do it
Do it to me all night long
Only wanna turn
Only wanna turn me on
All through the night time
And right around the clock
To my surprise
Rosie never stops

And then... well, for people with a rather gross sense of humor - of the typical Italian type - only. Not safe for puritans, politically correct corporations and POSERS especially.


* Extra points for those who get the reference.

Yes, The Internet Makes You Stupid

We interrupt our unscheduled programming to talk about absolute crap. Are you ready?

Probably prompted by Steven, in my slightly tipsy state of post-dinner digestion I decided to test what happens if I do an internet search for "pokemon naruto fanfic".

Well, this is what happens.


Thanks Odin I did not include any naughty word in the search string...

Free Healthcare For Almost Everyone

This seems to be Obama's plan, according to some recent news.

But who is the Most Tanned President of the USA going to leave out of the scheme? Fat rich Republicans?

Not quite. Rather, the current administration is considering to make military veterans pay, through private insurance, for the treatment even of injuries related to their service.

I guess that's their way to support the troops.

Saturday Night Musings

If I ask the question "What's the best way to kill your worst enemy?", I'll probably receive answers that degenerate in a feast of sadism more worh of a Japanese gorn movie.

Yes, there can be some satisfaction in decapitating you enermy using only nail scissors, but let's face it: that's a tremendously inefficient course of action.

If I wanted to kill my eventual worst enemy, I'd use a precision rifle in .338 Lapua and optics set to 200 meters at least, no fooling around.

Scie Tragichimiche

Immagino che molti di voi avranno sentito parlare più o meno esplicitamente delle famigerate scie chimiche, le quali sarebbero tonnellate di schifezze - il loro elenco è lungo quanto il catalogo della Carlo-Erba, ovvero c'è dentro tutto il possibile - sparse con aerei da una vasta congiura mondiale allo scopo di causare di tutto ed il suo contrario. Sembra poi che il centro italiano dell'attivita di irrorazione sia Sanremo (è anche comprensibile, se no come farebbero a tirare avanti col festival?).

Per darvi un'idea della cospirazione, c'è chi dice che il suo vero scopo sia quello di usare il controllo mentale per far apparire David Beckham come un calciatore vero e sua moglie come una cantante di talento. Immaginate che roba?

Per fortuna c'è una nutrita schiera di blogger che fra il serio ed il faceto, ed il mandare i peggiori mentecatti a farsi fottere, contrastano colpo su colpo le farneticazioni degli schiachimisti. Perle Complottiste, Hanmar, Banfer Enemy, Straker Enemy, Il Peyote, e tanti altri ancora nei loro links si divertono un mondo a prendere per il culo la Sacra Setta. Alla fine gli sciachimisti non meritano molto; prendere sul serio i loro sproloqui può causare danni cerebrali.

Però devo ammettere che alla fine della storia gli sciachimisti duri e puri mi inquietano: quella è gente con qualche problema mentale, si vede lontano un miglio. A parte vaneggiare da mattina a sera, sono sempre pronti (anzi, entusiasti) a ricorrere alla violenza verbale ed altre pressioni al limite della legge contro chiunque li contesta direttamente o soltanto devia da una stretta ortodossia.

Temo che sia solo questione di tempo prima che uno di loro passi alle vie di fatto; uno di questi disgraziati tempo fa sognava di possedere missili Stinger per potere abbattere qualcuno dei malvagi aerei avvelenatori, e secondo me se si potesse procurare queste armi le userebbe davvero contro il primo aereo che passa (gente come me invece sarebbe contenta di avere un solo Stinger in un angolo della cantina che non si sa mai, avrai bisogno di un missile terra-aria solo una volta nella tua vita, ma quella volta il bisogno sarà disperato...)

Lo so sciachimisti che scandagliate ossessivamente la rete alla ricerca dei vostri nemici. Ma questo non è un blog dove si può offendere o sproloquiare liberamente.

The Shameful Image

Are these pathetic metrosexual wimps supposed to be Italians like me?

Good grief, where have the pride and valour of the Arditi, of the Divisione Folgore, of Fabrizio Quattrocchi gone? Hell, not even the commie terrorists were so lowly.
Grovelling at the feet of Barack Obama? Fucking hell.

Sober Update: Berlusconi's statement was stupid and boorish, that's quite true - he's never been much of a gentleman in any case. This display of contrition however is more a "pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Obama trying to obtain absolution for our racial sins" than anything.

For Women Who Really Love Obama

Presented without further comment. Because I can't find the words.

Not safe for work, neither for easily-disturbed minds.

CJ's Freedom of Speech

"You can say anything you like, but leave the Jews alone or else." In the long form:

Laws against free speech are bad, we can all agree on that. But Le Pen is no poster boy for free speech; he's being prosecuted for this stuff because he has
a lot of influence.

Later another commenter calls Charles on his statement, but the mighty CJ initially refuses to give any satisfying answer, then bans the commenter for the sin of dissent.

Notorious Jewish extremist ploome hineni shows up to repeat that yes, being anti-semitic is reason enough to be jailed, while the others fool around cracking jokes. Typical LGF shit; I see nothing has changed.

Another dishonorable mention goes to this:

Europe is done for.

That has nothing to do with a sober appraisal, but it's only a feel-good motto. It's something a Yank can repeat to himself until he's completely sure of his intellectual superiority, and can look down upon those brutes inhabiting this side of the Pond.

Update 11/02: If you think that I am obsessed with Little Green Footballs, this other guy beats me 100 to 1. But if you assumed a considerable amount of timewastotoxin, his blog deserves a visit.

The Ultimate Fantasy Battle

Steven reminded me of some other time wasted reading 100% geek stuff on the Internet. Fights between fictional characters, in this case.

Lara Croft vs. Duke Nukem was ma favourite - of course the Duke would win, why you even ask? The curious thing is that I know a guy who not only looks like Duke Nukem, but pretty much thinks like him too. And this chap is a real person, go figure.

Anyway, what would be the ultimate fantasy fight? Choose anyone you like on your side, but on mine there will be Lobo. He's pure unadulterated testosterone-overdriven brutality and bad manners. The caveman at the bottom of our being, drawn on paper.

Lobo technically can be killed, but here's the kicker: after he thrashed both heaven and hell, he's not allowed there anymore. So he can only be sent back among the living.

And he will frag any sonuva snake stupid enough to challenge him.
Gogeta? BITCHINBIGBLASTO and it's over.

Oh Great Cthulhu

I just got a visit from "Palestinian Territory, Occupied Gaza" - which, thinking about it, is quite a nonsense: the Israelis left Gaza a while ago. Now it's under the (sketchy) sovereignity of Hamas, which is pretty much a 100% Palestinians thing.

Anyway, guess what the search phrase was?
"kassam propellant"

That's just the icing on the cake...