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Sexist or Just Stupid? Biden’s Shotgun Advice Triggers Criticism

150px-shotgunaction225px-joe_biden_official_photo_portrait_2-croppedVice President Joe Biden latest controversial statement has produced some interesting criticism. Biden was asked recently if the ban on certain guns would put people at risk. He responded by encouraging people to buy shotguns and fire them out the window. It was pretty dim-witted advice since that would be illegal, but is it sexist as well as stupid?

A women at a Parents Magazine town hall as Biden “Do you believe that banning certain weapons and high capacity magazines will mean that law-abiding citizens will then become more of a target to criminals as we will have no way to sufficiently protect ourselves?”

Biden immediately did what he does best: put his foot in his mouth and then shoot himself in the foot. Biden chuckled and responded: “As I told my wife — we live in an area that’s wooded and somewhat secluded — I said, ‘Jill, if there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house,’” Biden said. “I promise you whoseever [sic] coming in is not gonna — you don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun.”

kate ernest america live-cropped-proto-custom_28Kate Ernest later went on Fox and said that Biden sounded sexist: “I think it was poor advice and it comes off a little sexist. Like, ‘let me tell you what you need’ versus, you know, ‘arm yourself or protect yourself in a way that you feel necessary.” Really. You ask Biden for advice on guns. He gives you advice on guns and then you say it was sexist to “tell you what you need.”

No it was not sexist, Ms. Ernest, just stupid.

As a torts professor and criminal defense attorney, I can assure you that firing a shotgun out your window or porch is both illegal and negligent. State laws and regulations strongly reinforce the need to have a clear target or view in shooting a weapon and do not countenance shooting blindly out of window, even on private property or in rural areas. Yes, you may to scare off a prowler as well as gun down your neighbor. If his wife were to follow Biden’s sage advice, she would be looking at possible criminal charges for aggravated menacing, reckless endangerment, and other crimes in Delaware and other states. She would also be subject to tort liability for negligence, assault, and possible battery or wrongful death. It is not generally considered reasonable mistaken self-defense to fire a weapon out a window to scare off the neighbors. Indeed, not long ago, a prosecutor was arrested for such a warning shot.

Now, the Ms. Biden’s possible defense is strengthened by the fact that he described his home as being “wooded and somewhat secluded.” Moreover a shotgun pellet has a shorter trajectory than a bullet. However, we have people hit every year by folks who think they can harmless fire guns in rural areas or in the air. This includes police officers, mail carriers, and others who lawfully come on to property as well as common trespassers in rural areas who cut across land like the recent tragic case in Oregon.

Source: ABA Journal and TPM

175 thoughts on “Sexist or Just Stupid? Biden’s Shotgun Advice Triggers Criticism”

  1. Darren:

    that is going to be a problem in the future. If the lights ever go out and you need to go old school.

    But then how many people know how to harpoon a sperm whale by hand or to use a hammer and chisel to make a hole for dynamite?

    Why do we need to write in cursive anymore? And who uses clay tablets for writing?

    A simple compass gave way to the sextant and the sextant has given way to GPS. GPS will give way to something better.

  2. OS:

    What havent you done? I imagine you are very popular to have drinks with. It sounds like the stories would be well worth the price of the libations.

    We used to stay at the Holiday Inn in Bristol when we went to visit our son at college in TN. We always used to stop at the Bass Proshop in Knoxville and have lunch at the bar and watch the fish. What a place.

    On our way to TN one time we stopped in Bristol during the races thinking we were going to get a room. The Holiday Inn wanted 300+ for a night. We kept driving.

    When I graduated from college I got an interview with a construction company in the same town where Bass started, I knew I wasnt getting a job when he told me to go see the Bass Pro shop so my trip wasnt wasted. It is amazing how far they have come in 26 years, Bass Pro-Shops.

    It is very nice country down there and my wife and I have thought seriously about retiring there. Somewhere between Johnson City and Knoxville.

    Funny story, we stopped at a gas station right near the Bass Proshop and asked the person where so and so town was, the woman said she had never heard of it and we drove off to get back on I-40. When you make the left turn on to I-40 heading toward Bristol, there is a sign that says so and so town 14 miles. Some people live insular lives.

  3. Darren,
    My friend Kelley has been ragging me about writing my memoirs. I guess I am going to have to sit down and do it. Kelley said it was important to my daughters and to my grandson, otherwise my memories will die with me. I have had a full and varied life. When I look back at it, I have been more than blessed in many ways, and not just in the religious sense. I still have stuff on my bucket list, but some of my experiences haunt me.

  4. Otteray:

    Sorry for your losses at the base. I can’t imagine with any degree of first hand knowledge as to what it would be like to have experienced that many so suddenly. Cold war realities. It is certainly one thing that anyone under 25 isn’t going to relate to. Maybe that is a good thing that they don’t have to.

    I’m sure notwithstanding it was quite an experience to be a part of those silos. It is certainly a narrow piece of history for which few can really understand first hand.

    Some of these experiences are becoming less and less available. Simple things can be lost in time. My wife and I spent a weekend at a B&B in Victoria, BC. The proprieter of the B&B was a retired Canadian Merchant Marine Officer. Up to a certain point he was stationed on an icebreaker over the Northern part of Canada and he relied on Celestial Navigation because at that time there were no LORAN stations up there. Certainly that is a dying art. A friend’s father in law retired from the railroad as a telegrapher. Another of such

  5. Darren,
    I rummaged around YouTube and found this. It is still photos taken by a tourist during his tour of the Titan II museum in Arizona. Watching this was a very strange experience for me. The things in the photos is familiar, and old memories came flooding back. I bet I could still find my way around in there even if they turned off all the lights.

    There is no way I can communicate to anyone how I felt the morning I got up to hear news bulletins about the Searcy, accident. This is going to sound really weird, but that was my favorite of all the silos. Strange, isn’t it? They are all alike, but I liked that silo best. Each one of them had its own personality. Reading that sentence back, it sounds as if I have taken leave of my senses, but it is true. When I think of all those men who died down there, needlessly, and think of their families, it becomes personal and emotional.

  6. Darren,
    Titan II. We had two tragedies in Arkansas. We had 18 sites scattered around the state. I worked in the engineering department doing design work and converting government specification gibberish into working drawings. The news story about the Searcy, AR accident is completely wrong. It said they were converting a Titan I to a Titan II silo. It was never a Titan I silo; they were just doing equipment upgrades and progressive maintenance. I ought to know, I was down in it enough times.

    This is about the silo at Searcy. That fire should never have happened in the first place.

    This is about the missile blowing up at Damascus, AR.

  7. Otteray:

    I read recently on one of the blog posts that you worked at a missle silo. Was that a Titan base by chance? There was one such silo outside of Royal City, WA in the district I worked at the Sheriff’s Office. I had a few occasions to go into that one, though unfortunately most of it was flooded out. It surely was a bit of an oddity to go in to.

  8. RE: the call center to which you refer. I understand. Let’s just leave it at that.

  9. I had a client in Kingsport a few years ago; she worked in a bank call center. I think that’s close to your neighborhood. I sued Central Transport over a trucking company bankruptcy out of Kingsport a few decades ago . . . King Trucking, King Transport, something like that.

  10. Porkchop,
    Otteray is the Cherokee word for the Blue Ridge Mountains. I don’t live all that far from the Bristol Motor Speedway.

  11. Bron,

    BTK . . . it does have a ring to it. I seem to remember a guy in Kansas . . .

    Where is “over”, by the way?

  12. Bron/Porkchop,
    Wish you could come over for a social visit when my son and DiL come up for a visit. He could tell you some tales (many funny, most not) of the many ways people manage to mangle or kill themselves with everyday objects.

    Back when I worked at the missile base, one of the construction crew carpenters managed to cut off his thumb with a table saw. How he did it is a long story, but it was the result of violating about ten rules of saw safety. The thumb was still attached to his hand by a strand of skin. I was the person closest to him. I grabbed a cardboard box, and scooped up a couple of handfuls of sawdust, throwing the sawdust in the box. The construction shed was next to the parking lot, so I did not wait for the ambulance. I tied a rag around his lower arm for a tourniquet, practically threw him in the car and put the box in the floorboard between his feet. Told him to bleed into the sawdust and not my car. I got him to the hospital at about twice the speed limit. Amazingly the ER doctors were able to reattach his thumb. Almost every accident or fatality involving guns, or any other kind of hardware, is the result of somebody cutting corners or doing something truly stupid.

    Unfortunately, stupidity and bad judgment is a universal human trait. There is one upside. It keeps people like Porkchop, my son, and me employed.

  13. OS/Porkchop:

    you guys are good. I am very interested in what BTK has to say. I am thinking his middle name is Theodore. Has a ring to it actually; Robert Theodore Kauten.

    The other reason is he killing me with his argument.

  14. Porkchop,
    I have not read the proposed legislation, but two friends of mine who did read it sent me the information. I got two separate emails with almost identical reports. According to my friends, the legislation proposes making it either difficult or impossible for private citizens to make guns or ammunition. I don’t know if that provision is still in there or not. It was so resoundingly stupid, somebody may have explained it to her and she amended it.

    Do you remember the incident involving that little girl making a coast-to-coast cross country flight to get in the Guinness Book of World Records? Of course she had a qualified flight instructor with her, but she was doing the flying herself. They crashed shortly after takeoff. Not too long after that, there were Congressional hearings about aviation safety. Among the witnesses were several officials from the Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s Association (AOPA). I watched some of the hearings on television, and it was painful.

    I cannot remember if it was a Senate or House investigation, but one of the congresscritters went on a rant about requiring all airplanes be equipped with a device so the instructor could disable the left side (pilot’s) controls in case of emergency. The (then) AOPA president looked like somebody slapped him with a dead mackerel. How does one tell a member of the US Congress they are too dumb to walk and breathe at the same time?

    He behaved himself better than I would have, explaining, using a tone of voice similar to a kindergarten teacher. The proposal was technically possible, but impractical. He gave example of adding weight, be prohibitively expensive and there would be too many opportunities for such a device to malfunction, such as disengaging a pilot controls during takeoff or landing. That whole hearing and the attending media circus was the result of a single tragic accident involving a cute little girl.

    I have written before about how easy it is to make gunpowder. Only three basic ingredients: charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). The best charcoal for gunpowder is made from willow. Potassium nitrate is a simple fertilizer, required for plant growth. This is high school chemistry, not rocket science.

    Anyone with a turkey fryer and a handful of automobile wheel weights can make bullets.

    I have made several black powder guns, including a replica of an 1861 Navy Colt revolver. I also make knives, but no longer make my own blades. No blacksmith’s forge. In case of the Zombie Apocalypse, I suppose I could build a forge easily enough. Unless congress outlaws private owner ship of forges. After all, you can make deadly weapons with them.

    My head hurts.

  15. Porkchop,
    Apparently DiFi wants to outlaw private ownership of anything that can be used to manufacture guns or ammunition. Isn’t it cute when somebody who does not know the first thing about a subject has the hubris to draft draconian legislation to manage or control it?

    She can have my 16-speed machinist’s drill press when she pries it from my cold dead hands.

  16. OS —

    Thank you.

    Yes, someone really has gone off the deep end.

    On the Olympic front, you left out the non-projectile martial sports of judo, wrestling, boxing, and taekwondo, all of which are watered-down versions of martial arts that were intended to kill or maim (jujutsu, pankration, Roman boxing with the caestus, and various other Asian martial arts).

    Well, wrestling is about to go, though — apparently making way for golf. Gotta love the IOC.

  17. Bob Kauten sez: “GunNutism is the one true religion in this country.
    No amount of reasoning can talk people out of their religion. It’s not reasonable, it’s not rational.
    Murder is collateral damage of the one true religion.”

    OMFG! That has to be one of the most simple-minded thing I ever heard come from what I assume is a grown man.

    What Porkchop said. I could not have said it better. As for my family, we have an emergency room physician (son), a law enforcement officer (daughter), a registered nurse specializing in critical care (daughter in law), and the head nurse on a cancer unit (my late wife). We do not have an altar for guns in our house, do not make love to them, or pet them like a dog or cat. Everybody in our family regards a guns just as they do the table saw or jointer out in the shop. They are tools. Like any potentially dangerous tool, they must be respected. All must be handled with respect, and all safety rules observed.

    As for manufacturing devices whose sole purpose is to kill, as you put it, I have yet to hear your views on all those Olympic shooting events, which also include archery, spear (javelin) throwing and fencing. That fact alone gives the lie to your assertion that these are weapons which have no other purpose than to kill humans. BTW, some people hunt for food. Squirrels or deer keeps the freezer full.

  18. Well said, Bron.

    Bob Kauten:

    “No amount of reasoning can talk people out of their religion. It’s not reasonable, it’s not rational.”

    It’s pretty obvious what _your_ religion is.

    For reasons I have never really understood, anti-gun propagandists apparently really believe that the only thing that gun owners do when they are not shooting people at random is to think about guns, dream about guns, fantasize about guns, and fondle guns — you know, the loonies, the screwballs, and the ones who haven’t grown up.

    There may be such people out there, but I don’t know any, and I know a lot of gun owners. They are soccer moms and dads, youth basketball coaches, community volunteers; some are religious; some are not. Some have only a high school education; some have graduate degrees. Some are doctors and lawyers (me); some are in law enforcement (my son-in-law) or other public service positions (my daughter); some are craftsmen and artisans. They are stable, productive members of their communities.

    For the most part, we have all of our teeth and are literate, some in more than one language. Most don’t go shooting very often, because ammunition is expensive for any caliber over .22 — anywhere from $.30 to $1.00 or more per round, depending on the caliber and other characteristics.

    With some 100 million firearms in the United States, if they were all loonies, screwballs, and/or immature, firearms deaths should number in the millions every year, and the United States would be completely depopulated in a matter of a few decades. That doesn’t seem to be the trend, though.

    I have to go put together some furniture from Ikea, and then I am going to go finish reading Euripides’ Electra. Both are a whole lot more interesting than reading somebody’s rants on the internet or fondling my guns.

Comments are closed.


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Teenager Who Garnered National Attention As Ferguson Protest Leader Arrested For Arson

la-na-ferguson-activist-arson-burglary-2014122-001During the coverage of the Ferguson protests, activist Joshua Williams, 19, became something of a celebrity as an advocate for peaceful protests. He was profiled by MSNBC and shown walking hand-in-hand with Cornel West. Williams was the counter image of the violent protesters who burned and looted Ferguson. However, this week, Williams was charged for setting fire to a convenience store during those very protests — a crime that police say he confessed to in a videotaped interview. It is sad development for a young man who garnered national attention for his work as a protest leader.

MSNBC featured Williams in a profile entitled “Portrait of a Protester” . In the piece, Williams describes how he also was angry and yelled at police. However, he insisted:

“I think we can be better if we can all come together. We might have to come together and show that we can work together and overthrow the system. But we have to come together as one and show them we can be peaceful, that we can do this. If not they’re going to just want us to act up so they can pull out their toys on us again.”

Police now say that he did more than that. They have introduced surveillance video and news footage showing Williams starting multiple fires inside and outside the Quick Trip convenience store as it was being looted by others.

He was charged with arson in the first degree and with second-degree burglary for entering the convenience store — both are felonies. He was also charged with misdemeanor stealing for taking a lighter, gum and cash from the store. They say that he has confessed to the crimes. However, protesters have demonstrated at the St. Louis County Justice Center over his arrest, insisting that charges be dropped.

With the reported videotape and confession, that is highly unlikely. What will be interesting is whether the court will view his statements advocacy peaceful protests as a positive community service (and thus a mitigating factor) or as an act of hypocrisy (and thus as aggravating factor) in sentencing.

In the profile by MSNBC, Williams speaks of his initial anger but says that he redirected that anger into peaceful and positive protest. He credits the intervention of Rev. Willis Johnson of the Wellspring Church as a turning point for him. Notably, that interview included an admission that could itself be viewed as assault but was not charged:

“I remember one night the police fired tear gas at us and I picked one of them up and threw it back at them. And the more we threw them back they just kept firing them back at us. It’s like it never stopped. I said to myself, we need another plan. This isn’t working.”

The arson however is far more serious. Indeed, with people still in the store when Williams allegedly torched it, there could have been additional charges brought by police.

Source: LA Times

133 thoughts on “Teenager Who Garnered National Attention As Ferguson Protest Leader Arrested For Arson”

  1. To the tech folks at this site. My information no longer comes up automatically, even when I’m responding to your note. Is it me or you that needs to do something. I am a lowTechie!

    1. Sandy – I would do a scan and then leave it on. It might need to update. They act squirrelly like that when they have to update. Also, there is a different problem going on in N StLouis Co than in most places. Compare it to Daly and Obamaland and maybe you can understand it then. It is not racial. They just like to pretend it is that way right now. It is a game with all of them. They are all sick. the cops, criminals, all of them.

  2. Singing about dead cops doesn’t get much sympathy. Instead it feeds the fire, and people will fight back. There was a question on Twitter about what could deBlasio do to better his relationship with police. I said not one thing. A mayor hears chanting about wanting dead cops now and does nothing? They turn their backs on him when he speaks, I hope civilians there do the same. The man is a bozo! Talking about his black son and his problems with police just deepens the bias.

    Giuliani would not have let these things happen. The ethnic poor are going to suffer as police are posted elsewhere. The first time I went to NYC after Rudy was elected was amazing. Two cops walking on streets talking with anyone. It made you feel safer. And getting rid of the window washers while you try leaving town. Are they back? I will not be in NYC for a long time. And I love it!

  3. HappyPappies….for the record, I believe you are doing the right things vis a vis your former brother in law. Lots of people get mad at me and that’s on them…e.g., do it yourself if you’re so cure of yourself. There is only so much you can accomplish before the emotional and psychological drain is debilitating. As you know, from previous interactions by email, that I am always here to talk virtually with you should you need to do so. For my money you’ve handled adversity very well, better than most people do.

    PS: Our money in Detroit “dried up” all right, and a big contributor was one time Mayor Kilpatrick, now serving 28 years in a federal penitentiary for fraud and corruption involving city funds. His predecessor was barely less corrupt…and that made for 30+ years of insanity, and as you’ve described, driven by a corrupt machine….now gone. We’ve cleared bankruptcy now and things really are improving, albeit slowly…investors are returning and that’s the first step. My daughter lives quite safely in the central city core now, walking distance from her office.

    1. Aridog – thank you for your kind and encouraging words as always, and it’s great that your daughter can live in the city again. I had tried that and those gunshots were too much for me. All we can do is pray for peace someday. 🙂

  4. HappyPappies said …

    I hate to be that way but that City [Ferguson & St Louis County] is not like Detroit.

    Today, you’d be right. No argument. But Detroit and Wayne County were almost exactly like what you’ve described, and I’ve read about, but in the 1970’s. I am somewhat surprised that in 2014-2015 they are still that way in Ferguson & St Louis County.

    1. @Aridog said he is surprised that it is still that way in St Louis —– Your money dried up and they always try new markets in St Louis and they have that circus down in the Central West End I was trying to tell you about that they are sucking the Government dry with. They still get people to come see ball games and it’s unsafe. N. County is full of Sex offenders and I know this because I have a paid for report when I was trying to find one of my kids and they were all around where he lived. Unbelievable. I just can’t even talk about it anymore right now because I am overwhelmed :I wish I could help these people but every time I try, I get sucked in. Right now My Brother in Law from first marriage just left. He was in ICU for 2 weeks and then in lockdown for god knows what. They said he said false positive for meth. I am trying to get his brothers up here and I wouldn’t pick him from the hospital because I was afraid he would drive his car off again and do the same thing again. (run into a ditch – I had his car towed out) So everyone is mad at me because I am responsible….I should take him back to St Louis and Set him up with Doctors. Right….. Feeling overwhelmed now so sorry about that.

  5. HappyPappies said …

    If we could get rid of that Political Machine in Clayton and get rid of that Mayor Slay in St. Louis that would be a Start.

    Dumping the criminal and corrupt in our area was the “start” here as well. Our last vile mayor is now doing 28 in a federal pen…which he deserves. We’ve had a couple since him who are honest and not machine bred. Our machine leader, who mentored the mayor in question, and his family, and a previous governor (Jenny the Dim) and countless other jerks (Jennifer was so inept even Obama wouldn’t hire her no matter how hard she sucked up for an administration position)…well good ole “Florida Ed” finally retired then died…and his machine with him.

    1. Aridog said Dumping the criminal and corrupt in our area was the “start” here as well. Our last vile mayor is now doing 28 in a federal pen…which he deserves. We’ve had a couple since him who are honest and not machine bred. Our machine leader, who mentored the mayor in question, and his family, and a previous governor (Jenny the Dim) and countless other jerks (Jennifer was so inept even Obama wouldn’t hire her no matter how hard she sucked up for an administration position)…well good ole “Florida Ed” finally retired then died…and his machine with him.

      I remember you saying this to me before very clearly. Mayor Slay is a Vampire elected by Dead Democrats and his last name might as well be Daly. Someone else just like him will take his place that has money to back them. I hate to be that way but that City is not like Detroit. They thrive on hate and mayhem and how they keep a baseball team and a football team there is through sheer hypocrisy. The problem is ignored and it is not safe. They will not send a bus to pick you up closer than 14th street and Tucker because of the problem. I lived there with my Husband in a Handicapped accessible apartment for 2 years until I got tired of the gun fire and the little parties between each little “park” as I rode my bike to and from the pharmacy and the grocery store in a coat to cover my identity as I am a tall woman and can disguise myself. There is a giant hospital complec there known as Barnes Hospital that is federally funded as a heart hospital and a school also (Washington University) is affiliated with it. All of this is tied in with fraud and graft up the wazoo. So there you have it. And everyone pretends it’s wonderful. My husband had seizures right before I had him sent up to a head trauma place in Cape Girardeau where he stayed on a list to go to the Veterans Home where he resides to this day. For 3 weeks I traveled up there and I was on my Bike. Very Interesting. Lots of Drugs being sold. Lots of Prostitution. Nothing being done about it. But all you hear about is Racism. I am sick of it.

      Mayor Slay wants limited violence – you can google that and he wants a ghetto and will make it so by banning the surveillance box so residents have more “privacy”

  6. HappyPappies….I have no experience comparable to yours, so I cannot argue the point…nor would I choose to under such circumstance. I now understand why you have the opinion you do, and it sounds justified. Let alone horrific in its own right. You force me to willingly agree that under certain circumstances your ideas are completely valid.

    My experience here is different, but, yes, there was one officer I knew who was as crazy as the 8 man killer you cited…he was medically (for psychiatric reasons) retired involuntarily.

    That said, I stand mute on your opinions on this subject henceforth. You have every reason on earth to have the opinions you harbor. I am very sorry that the situations occurred. About the time one thinks they understand life, $h*t happens and one is wrong.

    My “rapport” with police here is based upon multiple friendships with solid honest officers and on knowing that push come to shove they will protect, rather than abuse. There are politicians here who would argue that last point, one was mayor for 20 years in fact…and just like NYC, police enforcement dropped to near nil, as it will while De Blasio is mayor, in our case for 10 of those years.

    1. @Aridog – thank you for your understanding and support. I told a friend I know about this who had her Father abuse her and told her I actually kept this Policeman who was a member of our Church also away from other women that he lusted after. In other words, I protected them because I had already been soiled. I understand this is common because she said she did the same to keep her daughter away from her Grandfather. Be that as it may, this has been therapeutic for me as I could never talk about it before as I buried it and it all came out with this Ferguson thing like lancing a boil. So it’s good. My mind seems more focused and I am not dropping ideas and words as much when putting together paragraphs. I was so exited New Years Eve because I was figuring out things about computers that had never fallen into place before talking to Darren Smith about the Observer Effect and he was so sweet and patient talking to me and he made me feel important. It was so nice. Anyway, it has been very helpful to me to be here and I saw before when we were talking that your community was much different than ours was because it pulled together. That was what I was trying to tell you when I rescued the little Papillon Puppy Rosie and her former Mommie was a Latino Lady from Ferguson and she knew. She said, “It’s not a Black, Hispanic, White or Asian problem there, it is a Police Problem.” And it’s not just Ferguson but all those little municipalities in North County. I am not saying they are all bad because one of them bought one of my puppies and kept my big dog from being put down when he bit a 6 year old girl. He didn’t hurt her, she just scared him and he snapped at her. They just need some guidance there. If we could get rid of that Political Machine in Clayton and get rid of that Mayor Slay in St. Louis that would be a Start. I don’t live there anymore. I had to move my Husband to protect him. The Police here in Cape Girardeau are very Friendly.

      Anyway, things are good and all we can do is hope for the best. 🙂

  7. In another organizational thread, I mentioned that the Episcopal Church’s response in the midst of the build up and explosion in Ferguson in particular was pathetic. Oh there is/was self-reported prayer vigil and sanctuary in the churches. To quote a Bastogne commander….NUTS.

    Where were the clergy shirts (priests, deacons and bishops-purple shirts) linking arm in arm with congregants in front of the stores? While the cry went out “Burn the bitch down,” imagine a line or two linked arm in arm facing the forming rabble and blessing them…with news cameras and lights reporting. Anybody with a partial brain knew that no matter any good intention for a non-violent assembly and march, this was not going to be a MLK event.

    Witness the convenience store customer who frantically poured milk on a fire as vandals were setting it. BTW….the person was lady. At a local eatery, another lady stood her ground and faced down the miscreants who were going to torch it.

    Where was the leadership of churches?

    Where was the churches’ public denunciation of the destruction of innocent people’s livelihoods? Underline “innocent.”

    No matter which side one comes down on regarding the shooting(s), the Christian Churches’ leadership response was not our finest hour. Oh yes, witness is a translation of martyr (Greek).

    Protecting the innocent is part of our oath when ordained in the Episcopal Church. Two “little old ladies” put us to shame. (Please forgive me for the characterizations of the gallant women…I have no idea of their real physical attributes … But ladies, they were.)

  8. Aridog

    Okay – lets take these one at a time okay lololol

    HappyPappies…I can accept McConnell and Boehner IF they can manage to pass a actual annual 12 appropriation budget, with debate, on time…

    So, who couldn’t But they won’t. They are in it for the pork. They don’t care about what is good for the country which is why they are still there. Don’t you think a term limit amendment would be a good executive action? Seriously? He does everything else he wants and he seems to have a problem with Congress, why doesn’t he do that. Is he afraid of what they might do (lol)

    1) eulogizing police – women eulogize police – they think they keep them safe. It is sickening. This is my observation in SE Missouri. Maybe they do here. But I am not from here and I have been a victim of police brutality.

    2) I realize what you say is true. But realize what I say holds truth also. To give you an example, not using a name – a man I worked for owned 7 businesses used to be a STL cop and was let go because he killed 8 black people only that is not what he called them. He was from South St Louis and he hated them. He thought they were inferior. But nothing ever happened to him. This is common in St Louis. Is it common in Detroit?
    I was not only a victim of a gang rape but a Policeman raped me that I trusted and I never told anyone because he belonged to my church and I cleaned he and his girlfriends house and she did not trust me and thought all women came on to him. There, I never told anyone that before. I wonder how often it happens? I know it does a lot in that one stretch of Highway Patrol of Florida. Did you ever read Ann Rule? I have a friend who has passed away who was a Detective and was a woman and a Masters of Social Work who was a good good woman who was terribly abused and went in to change the system. I know what you say is true also. There is good also. We must be optimistic and always try to keep the balance.

    3) You seem to have great rapport with your police in Detroit.

  9. HappyPappies said …

    Things tend to get out of hand so can we please not eulogize the police in the big cities.

    1.) There we go with the deify/eulogize meme again. I don’t know anyone who does either.

    2.) I live in a big city and those men and women in uniform with badges, and even the plain clothes ones, are the very thin line between me and mine, including my neighbors, against anarchy per se.

    3.) I’d suggest one reason, among several, that we’ve not had “response riots” here, as in other cities, is because of good policing. Even Candy Crowley (just before she was canned) could not get the Detroit Police Chief, a black man with long experience here and in the LAPD, to slam other police…he spoke for his own and though struggling due to lack of sufficient manpower to cover our geography, they are doing well all considered. Enough so that a few investors here got together and provided new police cars and fire equipment to both services, police and fire. In short, I am not alone in my opinion.

Comments are closed.

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Video Slots Vs Traditional Slots

Video Slots Vs Traditional Slots

Video slots is a good solution to play slots online. You can play from the comfortable surroundings of your own home and choose from among the many different sites. If you need to play slot machines offering jackpots of $10k or more there are hundreds of sites offering this. If you like playing video slots, you will love playing at these sites. Here we’ll take a look at what you ought to know before playing at these sites.

Video slots can be an internet-based casino, located in Malta and located in Spain. It is governed by the Malta Gaming Authority, which are accredited by the European Commission, the Royal Bank of Malta, the lender of Spain, and the Danish Gambling Authority among others. The Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICCA) may be the regulatory body that oversees all regulated casinos in Malta and all other islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

Most sites offer video slots with progressive jackpots of 1, five, ten, and even twenty thousand pounds. Additionally, there are video slots with smaller jackpots which are worth much less than one hundred pounds. Some sites haven’t any jackpots, although they do have several games to play. If you play multiple game you’ll start making some cash. As a matter of known fact, playing multiple game on these sites will increase the amount of money you can win. Of course, it’s the identical to with real casinos.

Slots nowadays have a wide selection of background scores. As a matter of fact, these days almost all of them have a background score, although not every one of them contain every one of them. Slots offering an “auto” jackpot are those that depend on a random number generator (RNG). This is a good type of slot machine game because there is no way for the players to manipulate the machine. However, quite often the result would depend on the luck of the draw.

A lot of people enjoy playing video slots since it is very challenging. That is why, slots with a mechanical spin machine are preferred by most players. Specifically, which means that the machines feature at least three reels. The reason for simply because the mechanical slots usually do not depend on a random number generator.

One of many features that video slots tend to lack is the ability to bet on more than one game. However, this is not the case with a lot of the slot games in the slot parlour. Slots which have more than three reels generally have their own bonus reel where the player can select from paid games, bonus games, or both.

It ought to be noted that some video slots have machines with progressive jackpots which contain actual money. On these machines, winning combinations are based on random selections. Which means that a player may get exactly the same winning combination repeatedly. Because of this, video slots with progressive jackpot generally have much better probability of winning.

More often than not, progressive jackpot video slots have a random number generator. The random number generator is what determines the results of the reels spin. The result of these reels spin is then used because the basis of the progressive jackpot that’s wanted to the winners of the video slots. Since the outcome of the reels spin is determined randomly, video slots with progressive jackpot generally have better chances of winning.

Usually, video slots that feature paylines and higher number of coins have a tendency to offer higher payouts. With paylines and higher number of coins, you will find a higher chance that one will hit a jackpot. However, one must know that just hitting a payline does not mean that a player will win the jackpot. Video slots usually feature progressive jackpots which are won in a random manner. Therefore, while hitting a payline might increase the chances of hitting a jackpot, it isn’t guaranteed to do so.

Scatter pays are normal in video slots. Many of these have several different chances of hitting a payline. Other machines feature just one payout pattern, making them less desirable for players who would rather maximize the amount of time they spend 슈퍼 카지노 playing. A player may also discover the random number generators of certain scatter pays too slow to count, leading players to lose more often than desired while attempting to match payline patterns.

With regard to differences from traditional slots, video slots tend to feature bonus features that encourage players to play more often. These can include video ads or pop culture images. In addition, some video slots allow players to place their bets by using a combination of icons, which is often changed by the player before every game session. In summary, while both forms of video slots provide same basic games, they differ pertaining to paylines, Bonus games and the amount of variety offered by the machine.


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Tag Archives: charming

Heart and Soul

One from the Hart: A Memoir by Stefanie Powers (Gallery; $26.00; 272 pages)

Spunky, vivacious and charming are words that easily describe Stephanie Powers, the actress best known for her role in the television series Hart to Hart.   Yes, her character on the series also matches up with these adjectives.   Don’t be fooled by appearances or roles, for when it comes to intellect and curiosity, Ms. Powers leads the Hollywood pack.   Her memoir, One from the Hart, is filled with fully developed recollections of a life lived all over the globe.

Although Powers’ formal education concluded with her graduation from Hollywood High School, readers will be treated to the best in grammar and word selection.   Powers set out to make up for a lack of college education by committing to reading through the literature list for students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).   With that goal accomplished, she has maintained a lifelong course in learning.   Her curiosity and willingness to expand as a person has resulted in a remarkable memoir that is well-developed and engagingly narrated.   This reviewer felt as though she had been included in the circle of friends that Powers has grown over the last several decades.

Yes, Powers is talented musically and as an actress.   Yes, she is remarkably beautiful.   Underneath this Hollywood veneer beats a heart that truly loves people and animals.   Her actions speak for themselves for she is the driving force behind the William Holden Wildlife Foundation in Kenya.   Given her enthusiasm for education, it is no surprise that Powers founded the organization to honor the efforts of her long-time love William Holden.

This engaging book includes photographs from Powers’ private collection that serve to document the remarkable events in her life.

Well recommended.

Ruta Arellano

A review copy was received from the publisher.   Note:  Hollywood High School, the home of The Pharaohs, also produced two notable actors who would come to be known to the world as James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.

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As Cute as a Kitten

Kitten’s Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes (Kids Can Press; 22 pages; $14.95)

Leaves tumble, Kitten mews.   Porcupine snacks, Chipmunk chews.   Hummingbird sips, Caterpillar munches.   Rabbit nibbles, Squirrel crunches.   Fish gulps, Bear licks.   Deer grazes, Raccoon picks.   Beaver chomps, Frog zaps.   Skunk slurps, Turtle snaps.   Supper waits, Fireside greets.   Door opens, Kitten eats.

This would make a perfect first reader for just about any child.   In Kitten’s Autumn, we accompany a Calico kitten on her very first trip through nature’s wonders during the season known as Autumn.   She discovers other animals, both friendly and fearsome, all of whom are feasting on whatever it is they eat.   This kitten observes them all before returning to her home for warmth and a good meal.

Each double page is meant to illustrate a single sentence in a poem, and children will come to absorb the lesson that there’s a difference between being outside with nature and being inside one’s own home-sweet-home.   The text and illustrations by Eugenie Fernandes (author of Kitten’s Spring) are both cute and charming.   This one’s a winner, by all accounts – especially for curious cats and kids!

Well recommended.

This review was written by Joseph Arellano.   Reprinted courtesy of Sacramento Book Review.   This book is recommended for children between the ages of 4 and 8.

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Love You To

A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W. Bruce Cameron (Tor Forge; $22.00; 320 pages)

“And the people who hide themselves/ Behind a wall of illusion/ Never Glimpse the truth/ Then it’s far too late/ When they pass away.”   George Harrison (“Within You Without You”)

A Dog’s Purpose is a 320-page novel targeted for adults.   This is a story of a dog named Toby who dies and is reborn as Bailey, then becomes the female Ellie and finally Buddy.   It is a novel on the subject of reincarnation that will not convince anyone that it actually happens, but it’s told in a charming voice.   The dog’s voice, no matter which of the four dogs is being portrayed (and regardless of age) is that of a non-threatening and generally naive pup which is why children will identify with it.

Had this been truly written for adults, it would have been better structured as a novella.   It goes on too long to make the rather simple point that love between humans and their pets is always reciprocated.   Any child who has loved stories like My Dog Spot will likely be enchanted with this one, but the adult reading it to a child is best advised to break it into 40 or so digestible bites.

Any they lived happily ever after, and were reborn again and again and again.   Woof!

Take Away:   This novel, sold as a childlike story for adults, is actually a long children’s story that might be read to children by adults.   There are, however, dozens and dozens of great children’s books currently available, any one of which might be a better choice.

This review was written by Joseph Arellano.   A review copy was provided by the publisher.

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Home The Market The Persuaders! Aston Martin headed for auction

The Persuaders! Aston Martin headed for auction

The Persuaders! Aston Martin is going to auction | Stephan Lindloff photo for Bonhams
Aston Martin DBS headed for 15th annual Aston Martin Works Sale | Stephan Lindloff photo for Bonhams

Before he was “Bond, James Bond” in seven of 007 movies, Roger Moore was Sir Brett Sinclair, who along with Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde starred in television series, The Persuaders! Well, actually, Moore and Curtis co-starred with their cars — Wilde driving a Ferrari Dino 248 GT and Sinclair a Bahama Yellow Aston Marti DBS.

And now, for the first time, that 1970 Aston Martin DBS from the television series will be offered for auction at Bonhams’ 15th annual Aston Martin Works Sale, to be held May 17 at the Aston Martin factory at Newport Pagnell, England.

Both Moore and Curtis autographed the car, which has a pre-auction estimated value of between $415,000 and $915,000, according to Bonhams.

When filming for the television series began, Aston Martin was just introducing the V8 version of its new DBS model. However, productions was just beginning and a V8-powered car was not available, so the car provided for the television series had the look of the V8 car — the badging and special wheels — but the standard DBS six-cylinder engine.

For the television show, the car also wore special “BS 1” license plates reflecting Brett Sinclair’s initials. Well, it wore those plates except in one episode when the production team forgot to switch the plates and the car was filmed with the “PPP 6H” license it wore for its real-life registration.

Filming the 24 episodes for The Persuaders! ended when Moore accepted the movie role as James Bond. By then, the DBS had traveled some 5,000 miles and, as Bonhams expressed it in its news release, had “taken a fair amount of punishment.”

Aston Martin took the car back, repaired the punishments and sold the car to what would be the first of its five owners. Each of the car’s sales was a private transaction with advertising or dealer or auction house involvement, Bonhams notes.

In the mid 1990s, owner No. 4 acquired the car and commissioned Aston Martin to do a complete restoration, returning the car to the precise specification it had when filming of the TV series began. Original components — including the leather interior — were retained.

Since then, the car has been maintained in that condition and has been serviced on an annual basis by engineers at Aston Martin Works.

The car had its first public showing since its television days in 2011 at the Aston Martin Owners’ Club spring concours. Since then it has been shown at the Salon Prive in London, at Aston Martin centennial events, and last year was one of only 49 cars on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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text: TY - JOUR T1 - Reduction of cardiac outward currents by alpha-1 adrenoceptor stimulation: a subtype-specific effect? JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 783 LP - 788 VL - 259 IS - 2 AU - Wang, X L AU - Wettwer, E AU - Gross, G AU - Ravens, U Y1 - 1991/11/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/259/2/783.abstract N2 - In rat ventricular myocytes, the effects of alpha adrenoceptor stimulation on outward currents were studied by means of the whole cell voltage-clamp technique. Phenylephrine (30 microM) in the presence of propranolol (1 microM) to block beta adrenoceptors reduced voltage-activated transient outward current. Both components of transient outward current were affected, i.e., peak current (Ipeak) was reduced by 25.3 +/- 1.8%, the outward current at the end of a clamp step (Ilate) was reduced by 39.1 +/- 3.5% (n = 5; holding potential -40 mV, clamp step to +20 mV). In order to describe the alpha-1 adrenoceptor subtypes involved in this action, the effect of phenylephrine was also investigated after pretreatment of the cells with various antagonists. Pretreatment with prazosin (0.3 microM) abolished completely the phenylephrine effect. The alpha-1A adrenoceptor subtype-selective antagonists 5-methylurapidil and (+)-niguldipine (0.1 microM each) and the irreversible alpha-1B adrenoceptor subtype antagonist chloroethyl-clonidine (100 microM) blocked the phenylephrine effect on Ipeak, but merely attenuated the effect on Ilate, whereas pretreatment with a combination of chloroethylclonidine and (+)-niguldipine suppressed the phenylephrine-induced effect on both outward current components just like prazosin did. In conclusion, stimulation of both adrenoceptor subtypes is required for reduction of Ipeak, but stimulation of either alpha-1A or alpha-1B subtype is sufficient for reduction of Ilate. Therefore, stimulation of both alpha-1 adrenoceptor subtypes contributes to the phenylephrine-induced reduction in transient outward currents of isolated rat myocytes. ER -


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HTML5 and JavaScript Game Development Competition in just 13 kB

Invertagon is a puzzle game, where the player needs to reverse or invert the colours on the board back to the primary (Red, Green or Blue) colours. This is done by placing different inverters on the board and adjusting their influence areas.
Invertagon is played with the mouse only.

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Mango Lip Oil

Mango Lip Oil

A rich, nourishing oil that incorporates coconut and grapeseed oils into a glossy treatment for the lips. Helps support the skin's barrier with Vitamin E, reducing dryness. This product is suitable for vegans.

Jojoba Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Castor Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Almond Oil, Vitamin E, Mango flavoring.

Disclaimer: Please check ingredients to make sure you are not allergic to any of them. We will not be responsible for any allergic reactions.

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Hamdan Anwari

This research is aimed at finding out the suitable writing material for deaf students. This research belongs to research and development. The participants of this research were the eleventh graders of SLB Muhammadiyah Dekso Kalibawang of semester 1 in academic year 2013/2014 which consisted of two students. The instruments used in collecting data were questionnaires. The questionnaires were used in the need analysis, material evaluation and students’ response. The data were analyzed descriptively by using percentage. Based on the need analysis, it was found out that students’ need is suitable with material for writing. In developing  syllabus, existing syllabus must be added with some exercises. In developing material is in the form of hand out. The hand out is writing material for the deaf students. The developed material is for the first semester academic year of 2013/2014. It consists of  three  units, five topics and nineteen activities. In the material evaluation from two experts, the developed materials facilitate the deaf students to write. Based on the student’s response, the developed material is appropriate with their English level competence.

Developing material; writing skill; deaf students

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

EduLite Journal of English Education, Literature and Culture is published by Language and Communication Science Faculty (former Language Faculty), Universitas Islam Sultan Agung (UNISSULA), Indonesia, in collaboration with Persaudaraan Dosen Republik Indonesia (PDRI).

Contact us: EduLite Journal of English Education, Literature and CultureJl. Raya Kaligawe Km.4, PO BOX 1054/SM Semarang 50112. Email: [email protected]


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Great… and Greater

Saw Jobs (the movie) finally. This thing is a good source of inspiration for creatives. One of the monologue’s that I still remember is the one that Matthew Modine said (portraying John Sculley in the screencap above):

You can make a great product, but you have to convince people that what you’re selling is greater.

This doesn’t only deal with material products per se, but ourselves.

Inspiration — Zina Nicole Lahr

Awesome work, and person of light. R.I.P.

In August 2013 my friend Zina asked if I could shoot a video for her portfolio. She needed something that would showcase her work but also tell a little bit about her personality and her interests. We had two days to shoot and edit so we shot an interview and smashed something together to meet our deadline. On November 20, 2013 Zina passed away due to a hiking accident in Ouray, CO. After the funeral I revisited the footage and made this short as an attempt to capture her personality and creativity. I never planned to release it online but now I have a chance to share her and her creations with all of you! For all who are part of the Zina Lahr love bomb, this is for you!

Music: Everything Is Changing By Noi (found on Free Music Archive)

Source via Digg

Blend Textures In Your Instagram Photography

If you are looking to add a bit more extra (or explore a bit) with your Photography, specifically with Instagram, read on. It took me a while to track down these sources so I hope they help you find more creative ways in using Instagram; and in the process, learn and grow more with your Photography style.

For this post, I will be introducing three people who are contributing to the community by creating and distributing free texture/pattern/overlay packs. You probably have seen a lot of amazing images lately using these or a combination there of.

Continue reading →

Why Most Ideas Get Shot Down

Michael Iva’s manifesto, “100 Ways to Kill a Concept: Why Most Ideas Get Shot Down”.

So, you’ve got an idea. A big idea. But will your idea take flight? Not if you let your concept be killed by all the usual excuses you hear from your managers, your bosses, your spouses—excuses motivated by fear or possessiveness. In this wide-ranging manifesto, Iva offers you ways to persuade someone to embrace your idea, to not be swayed by negative responses, and to utilize your creativity.

Here’s a list of circumstances that usually follows up once a concept is conceived:

  1. The boss won’t go for that.
  2. The lawyers won’t go for that.
  3. The accountants won’t go for that.
  4. The client won’t go for that.
  5. The salespeople won’t go for that.
  6. The investors won’t go for that.
  7. So and so won’t like it.
  8. It’s not us.
  9. It won’t fit into our system.
  10. We’re not ready for that yet.
  11. I don’t think it will work.
  12. I don’t understand.
  13. Do you understand?
  14. Will anyone understand?
  15. What will they think of next?
  16. It’s politically incorrect.
  17. It’s too complicated.
  18. It’s too late for that now.
  19. It’s too expensive.
  20. We’ll lose money.
  21. Continue reading →


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New Paperbacks!!

Publishing news and updates by K.A. Wiggins

26 Oct 2020

Paperbacks are finally here!! 🎉

Pandemic-induced publishing & shipping woes plus a very stupid mistake on my part 😅 delayed the matching covers by a couple months, but you can finally order the horror-variant covers on Amazon if paper copies are your thing. 👍

Original cover BTE ppb & hardcover will remain available as “special editions” but that artist’s rates keep going up 😭 so the series will continue with these new designs. Additional hardcover editions aren’t currently in the pipeline.

**Shop the new editions on Amazon (other storefronts coming soon): **

Blind the Eyes (book one) & Black the Tides (book 2)

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Sashiko Fabric - Fish - panel number 238

This preprinted Japanese sashiko panel features the traditional design of fish swimming in a pond.  Stitch on stamped lines with sashiko thread, embroidery floss or pearl cotton. Pale blue stamped lines dissolve in water. Panels are 100% navy blue cotton and measure 14" x 28" each. Stamped design is 14" square, covering half of the panel, and a plain square, which can be used as the back of a pillow or bag, makes up the other half.


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The Kamancha of Azerbaijan
The History of Kamancha
Kamancha is an ancient stringed musical instrument of Azerbaijan played with a bow. Various kinds of kamancha are famous among the peoples of the Eastern and Middle Asia. This instrument, characterized with a charming, tender and melodic sounding, has been improved throughout centuries and survived till our times.

The one and two stringed kamancha is supposed to originate from the spring Gopuz (also Azerbaijani musical instrument). The description of kamancha is widely spread in the works of Medieval classics. The painting “The musical assembly” of Mir Sayid Ali, a representative of the painting school of Tebriz of the 16th century, reflected berbet, daf and kamancha. Abdulgadir Maragai in his works cited kamancha along with other musical instruments and gave broad information about it. The German traveler E.Kempfer, who visited Azerbaijan in the 17th century, noted that kamancha is a three or four stringed instrument with a wonderful sound timber. The genius Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi gives the following description to kamancha in his poem “Khosrov and Shirin”

It is known that the three, four and even five stringed kamanchas existed already in the last century. A five stringed kamancha of the 19th century, preserved in the Ethnography Foundation of the Museum of History of Azerbaijan is interesting in this sense. The said museum has a kamancha, belonging to the prominent composer of Azerbaijan Zulfugar Hajibeyov. The body and the neck of this three stringed kamancha are skillfully encrusted with natural pearl. The peculiarity of this 19th century instrument is that a part of its body is made of a vertical section of wood, which covered with leather clothing.

The kamancha, played with a bow is made of mulberry tree or walnut-tree, while the bow is made of a horse hair. Kamancha consists of a body, a neck and a spike, which enters the inner part of the body and goes out and communicates both parts of the body. The body, the neck and the tuning peg are produced by special machine tools by way of cutting. The total length is 700 mm, the height of the body is 175 mm and the width is 195 mm. Its diapason ranges from the small octave A to the third octave A. The notes for kamancha are written in the G clef and sound one tone higher than written. It is tuned in fourths or fifths.

The great composer of Azerbaijan Uzeyir Hajibeyov highly evaluated the sound timbre of kamancha. “…Music played on kamancha is perfect as for the sounding and is closer to a human voice. Kamancha is the best of all melodic instruments.” The legends of the Middle Asia state that the stringed gopuz was created by Dede Gorgud. A number of scientists, especially doctor Verner Bahman, state according to the treatise of Al Farabi, that the Middle Asia is considered the home of the stringed instruments.

Kamancha on the bottom left is called "Kamancha Tarhu" made by "Peter Biffin",who is one of Australia's leading instrument makers, maintaining an international presence at the highest level for the last thirty years. One main characteristic of this instrument, besides many other constructive details, is the elimination of animal skin. Kamancha Tarhu was first played and used by the legendary musician "Habil Aliyev".

Peter Biffin:
Habil has a depth and range in his use of tone color. I heard a recording of him in 1995 just when the tarhu was coming into existence. Habil's playing helped me to form an image of what bowed sound could be, and this has guided the development of the small tarhus ever since (kamancha tarhu and tarhui).
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Personal Injury LawyersMcAllen & Edinburg, Texas

Distracted Driving: The new DWI in Texas?

A young female talking on phone while driving

In Texas, almost any month could be Distracted Driving Awareness Month. That’s because you see distracted drivers every day on highways and in your neighborhoods – drivers texting, talking on their phones, checking email, and so on. They pose a dangerous risk to you and your loved ones. Here's what you should know.

Is driving distracted the new DWI?

Nationally, the numbers are bad enough. Distracted drivers killed 3,142 Americans in 2019, an increase of 10% over 2018, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The numbers in Texas are, if it’s even possible, more tragic. Distracted driving was a contributing factor in 95,572 accidents in 2018, trailing only speeding (140,544). In fact, distracted driving is cited in nearly four times more accidents than driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, leading officials to call driving while distracted “the new DWI.”

A breakdown of other state numbers from 2018:

  • Distracted driving was a factor in about 18% of all accidents
  • Distracted driving accidents caused 2,340 serious injuries and 394 deaths
  • 4,325 accidents involved the use of cell phones and other portable devices
  • 84,826 involved driver inattention (daydreaming, listening to music, etc.)
  • 6,421 involved other distractions (pets, children, retrieving dropped objects, etc.)

Part of the problem? Texas was slow to react to the problem of distracted driving. In 2017, it became the 47th state to ban texting while driving, targeting drivers under the age of 18, school bus operators, and anyone in a school crossing zone. In fact, handheld cell phone use remains legal. One sign of progress? More than 60 cities statewide have enacted their own laws making it illegal.

Penalties for distracted driving and preventive measures

The penalties for distracted driving remain relatively low and not much of a deterrent:

  • $25 to $99 for a first offense
  • $100 to $200 for a second offense
  • Court costs and fees, as well as a possible increase in insurance rates, averaging $175 if imposed, may also apply

The NHTSA suggests several safety tips to prevent distracted driving. Among them are:

  • Pulling over and parking when you need to talk on a phone, text, read email, post status updates on social media, etc.
  • Designating a passenger to handle phone-related tasks.
  • Turning off the phone, and/or placing it in the glove compartment, back seat or trunk.
  • Speaking up when you are a passenger and the driver engages in distracted behavior.
  • Challenging friends and family to pledge not to drive distracted.

When you've been injured, keep calm and call Karam

Clearly, the state does not take distracted driving seriously enough. The laws are loose. The fines are relatively small (in neighboring Louisiana, for instance, fines start at $500 for adults and $250 for drivers under 18). The combination increases the risk that you may be injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver who knows they face minor consequences.

The driver who caused your accident is unlikely to admit they were distracted or at fault. Often, they will instead try to blame you. In the meantime, you may be dealing with injuries that leave you unable to work, pay your bills, and support your family. Adding to your stress is an insurance company tempting you with a lowball settlement offer because they know you are desperate for money.

At Karam Law Firm, attorney Aizar J. Karam Jr. and his dedicated legal team know how to build a strong legal case based on evidence to help you pursue a fair financial settlement for you and your family. With offices in McAllen and Edinburg, we will aggressively protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

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The Jellyfish

There was an air of solemn contemplation as we all stared down at it. A formless, transparent, spineless, once sentient being lodged unceremoniously on the beach by a merciless sea.

“Is it dead?” Al ventured.

He prodded it with his trusty sword. It was the size of a car wheel. Yes, it did appear to be departed from this mortal coil.

He was not sure about jellyfish.

All week, there at the gorgeous sandy surfing mecca of Polzeath, North Cornwall, Al  loved jumping waves in the shallows.  He got cold in the Atlantic waters and so his mother bought him a long-legged wetsuit, and as you walked down to the beach each morning it was possible to see, among the flurry of bellyboarders and stand-up surfers and lifeguards and flags and buckets and spades,  a small kamikaze figure in a black wetsuit, kung-fu fighting each wave with ninja intensity.

The wetsuit meant Al spent longer in the water. He became daring, and on one occasion requested a belly board and lounged on it like a Roman emperor, a deeply superior smile on his face, interrupted only by the occasional facefull of frothy surf.

Every now and then, any one of us could step upon something unsettlingly elastic. It had no sting, just the sensation of being anti-sand, something so unlike the rest of the beach that one would shudder and fling oneself upon a wave just to be carried off and away from that thing lurking on the sea bed.

Al did not clock these shallow-dwellers. But on the third day of my stay they refused to be cast aside, and rose to float at the surface for maximum exposure.

They really were very beautiful: jellyfish about the size of fairy cakes. Some were simply transparent lenses whilst others were shot through with the most stunning violet.

The moment Al saw the hoards from the deep he left the sea.

Now, hours later and in a frenzy of rock pooling, the small erstwhile emperor of the seas stood looking at the very big dead jellyfish in a neighbouring cove with skepticism written large over his small visage.

“Auntie Kate,” he began slowly, (Al considers his lines of questioning extremely carefully,) “do jellyfish like this come onto our beach?”

What to do? If I replied in the affirmative we would never get him in the sea again.

Reader, I lied.

“No, no,” I bluffed with what I trusted was breezy self-assurance. “Jellyfish like this prefer quiet coves like this one. They don’t want a big noisy beach full of surfers.”

Jellyish (named as such by the British around 1796) have been roaming our seas for at least 500 million years. Gelatinous umbrellas with tentacles, they have no digestive, central nervous, respiratory or circulatory systems, just a large digestive tract and an anus/mouth which I understand to be the same thing. Arriving with the ebb and flow of the tide,surfer detection is probably not one of their strong points.

In my defence, jellyfish have up to 24 eyes and can definitely tell up from down using light-sensitive organs. Though they could not actually, er, see the surfers in question.

I swear I could hear, in the silence following my colossal bluff, Al making up his own mind.

The next day he spent playing in the sand.

14 thoughts on “The Jellyfish

  1. The jellyfish here love to sting. We’ve been having our share of shark attacks. One right down the coast from where we took you just yesterday. Several in North Carolina.

  2. I’m with Al. When the jellyfish come up, I’m outta there. Although I might make an exception for the ones that don’t sting. I’ve never met any of those.

  3. “Reader, I lied.” Love the Jane Eyre reference, if that is indeed what it was. I once was stung nine times by a jellyfish that smacked into me via a particularly strong wave while I was a camp counselor and had to walk silently, while stinging in pain, out of the ocean to first aid so that I wouldn’t frighten the little campers around me happily playing in the ocean. Little did they know what danger lurked near them. Luckily, I was the only one to get stung that day. I have a feeling if they’d known, they wouldn’t have ventured back out to sea! I think your bluff was the right choice!

    1. Jane Eyre remains my favourite book 🙂 I havenever been stung by a jellyfish, and perhaps that is why I am so cavalier about them. Al is a very small walking risk assessment and doesn’t take chances lightly. I do admire that about him: it is the polar opposite of me.
      Well done for not frightening everyone in the sea. I have a sneaking feeling I would not be so brave….

  4. Your credibility has come into question, it would seem.
    Also, for reasons best known to itself, my email setup relegated this notification to the Junk file. You have never had that honour before. What have you started doing wrongly? (Why does everyone say ‘doing wrong’?)

    1. I wonder if the long breaks between posts are the culprit, Col? I shall remonstrate with the Happiness Engineers.
      I do not have a shred of jellyfish-vouching credibility left.

  5. I read Andra’s comment about the “sting,” and that’s true for us on the Pacific Coast as well. Occasionally they swarm, but we know what to look for. My favorite thing in the entire world as a child was to be at the beach. It may very well still be. Wonderful memories made here!

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Protein Bar-Fi (Box Of 10)

In this you get 10 bar-fis which are essentially mini protein bars coated with chandi varak. These come in 5 assorted flavours and along with 2 hand poured vanilla scented candles (glass jars).

Each Bar-Fi is a mini protein bar, packed with premium dry fruits like cashews, almonds, dates & berries. These healthy mithais have no added sugar, and are topped with 100% veg, ethically sourced silver (chandi) varak


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Clean energy challenges: the power grid and renewable energy infrastructure

The electrical power grid is an interconnected network of national, state and regional infrastructure for generating, transmitting, distributing and delivering electricity from suppliers to customers.Photo from from

In recent years, we have all become familiar with power outages, which questions the reliability of the existing electricity grid. Blackouts are experienced in different regions, affecting residents, businesses, and daily life. Due to the storm on Tuesday, October 14, 2009, with heavy winds and rain, more than 35,000 customers were without power in the Bay Area.

Along with concerns to the function of the current aged electricity network - with the growing demand of government, businesses, industries, manufacturing and residents for renewable energy sources - power grids need to be upgraded to include a diverse portfolio of power generation systems, as well as distribute and supply power from different geographical areas in the U.S.

Renewable energy generation includes hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, wind, wave and biomass resources.

Power companies like Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), have been gradually increasing their portfolios of clean energy sources, i.e., renewable energy sources, to benefit customers. PG&E states that renewable resources continue to play a critical role in their commitment to provide the customers with reliable, clean, environmentally preferred energy.

The economic stimulus bill passed in February 2009 allocated $11 billion to upgrade the current nation’s outdated and unprepared power infrastructure.

Maps are available to view the current electric grid, power plants, the future network, the patterns of alternative power sources (per state), and the types of future energy generation plants (such as solar and wind).

Through high-voltage lines, power is transmitted to regional substations, where distribution for commercial, industrial and residential use occurs. Technology is a critical component to successful power grid operations. Software is used to track usage, save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability and transparency.

There are regional network patterns to clean energy generation and they, obviously, make sense: solar plants are predominant in sunny locations; wind turbines are usually located along the coasts.

A major update to the power grid addresses moving power generated by solar or wind farms into the electric infrastructure.

Clean energy production poses different challenges than the fossil, gas or coal generated electricity. Oil, gas or coal generated power is localized in regional plants and is constantly produced. While the power grid needs steady and reliable sources, solar and wind power are dependent on weather conditions: sunny days and wind, respectively. Therefore power storage mechanisms are essential and need to be incorporated into the upgraded grid.

When looking into the future, a reliable electricity service is a huge challenge, in particular in light of the increased demand for more renewable sources of energy.

Read more about the power grid: Smart-Grid solutions and sustainable software

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