My Blog

Category: Society

  • How to Make More ‘Makers’

    Joey Hudy, a young “maker” from Phoenix went to the White House this week to show off his project, the “Extreme Marshmallow Cannon.” When President Obama saw it, he told Joey: “Let’s try it.” Joey set up the air cannon, which uses a bicycle pump to build up air pressure, and put a marshmallow down the barrel. When he pressed the trigger, a single marshmallow was shot out across the room to the delight of everyone, but especially the president.

    via  CNN Blogs.

    This is a great story about how we need more young people (kids?) to be able to think creatively, differently.  This is especially necessary in our inner city school which appear to have a more homogeneous population.

    Over at Chicago News Report a bunch of hate-filled racists took over the comment section of an otherwise civil blog.  Among the filth was an observation:

    Almost every black teen has the same carbon copy personality….  There’s almost no black goths, or nerds, no black metalheads, they quash any difference within their community and make them fall in line … or else they get beat down or even killed.

    I don’t know if that’s true — but if so, it’s a problem.

    We need to encourage all children to take things apart just to see if you can put them back together.

  • Chinese Driver’s Test — Really!

    If you have ever thought of cruising on the freeways of Shanghai, think again. Beside being considered one of the deadliest countries for drivers, China also appears to have some of the strangest questions in the written test that people need to pass in order to have a driver’s license issued.Some of the questions in the test are so tricky, our Beijing correspondent Keith Richburg tells us, people have to take this test several times before they pass it

    via Washington Post.

    Go see for yourself.

  • #KillZimmerman: The Left is Silent

    On March 24 a “KillZimmerman” Twitter account began publishing calls for violence against George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watch captain who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26.

    Five days later, the account is still on its crusade to avenge Martin.

    The sender’s initial tweets made his or her aims clear: “No Justice No Peace!!!!!!!!!! #KILLZIMMERMAN #KILLZIMMERMAN #KILLZIMMERMAN,” they read.

    via The Daily Caller.

    This is a problem.

    Yesterday there was a post over at Althouse about how someone had taken a poll about the Martin/Zimmerman issue.  A Poll!!  We do NOT use POLLS to determine if someone is innocent or guilty!!

    We are a nation of laws.  Our system is not perfect; but it does work.

    And where is the MSM on this?  Where’s the left on this?

    When Gabrielle Giffords was shot the MSM & the left were everywhere jumping up-and-down that it was all Sarah Palin’s fault.  Palin — love her or hate her — never, in any way, called for Giffords to be killed.

    Here, this person is actually publicly calling for the assassination of another person.  Somehow that’s acceptable?  Is this really who we’ve become?

  • Spain – The New Greece (and we’re next)

    Spanish trade unions are holding a general strike across the country today to protest new labor reforms, and by all accounts it has been a largely peaceful protest.

    While for the most part conditions on the ground are relatively normal, photos from Madrid, Barcelona, and Pamplona indicated that some young protestors are escalating the angst, painting symbols supporting anarchy on walls, and causing small bouts of destruction.

    Such events are reminiscent of similar protests in Syntagma Square, Greece, where groups of youthful protestors turned riotous despite generally calm strikes.

    Two major points give us particular trepidation: the fact that these and similar protests closely resemble early protests in Greece a few years ago—when almost no one realistically considered the possibility of a Greek debt restructuring—and the sheer scale of Spanish youth unemployment.

    As in Greece, young people have been seen as responsible for escalating peaceful political protests to violent riots. Spain’s unemployment data suggest that protests there could eventually be much larger—nearly half of young people are already unemployed and they face a tough future and a shrinking social safety net amid economic contraction and austerity measures.

    via Business Insider.

    For sixty years liberals and academics have been telling us to be more like Europe.  This has been a mistake.

    The only way for our youth (especially minority youth) is to improve our schools, reduce government waste, and grow the private sector so our newly educated children can get jobs.  But our schools are current not providing the education needed in order to succeed.  That needs to change.

    In the meantime… we need the unions, religion, politicians, and community organizers to begin an honest dialog — toning down the language (e.g. denouncing the #KillZimmerman hashtag) and finding productive ways to work together instead of just yelling at each other.

  • Kuryente: Ya, I Never Heard of it Either

    One Tagalog word for which no exact translation in English exists is “kuryente.” It literally means “electric current,” but the word can be applied to the practice of spreading sensational but faked news in order to produce a media jolt. One newspaper translates “kuryente” as “a bum steer”; others have rendered it as “actually but not really” or “confirmed but not definite.” At any rate, the phrase applies perfectly to the storm of bogus rumors swirling around the Trayvon Martin media feeding frenzy. The Daily Mail reports:

    Fake Will Smith tweet about Trayvon Martin sweeps the internet  — and Spike Lee retweets wrong address for George Zimmerman. … Man tweeting as Will Smith tweeted angry post about no justice for Trayvon — Spike Lee retweeted incorrect Florida address for Trayvon’s killer, George Zimmerman — Man posing as Will Ferrell also tweeted about high-profile case.

    Americans are no stranger to the phrase “fake but accurate.” But kuryente takes things to another level where the lie becomes the truth; or worse, to where nobody can tell the difference.

    The couple who actually live at the address which Spike Lee wrongly believed to belong to George M. Zimmerman now fear for their lives. The address was actually associated with the electoral roll of a different Zimmerman — George A. Zimmerman — though of course such fine distinctions are lost in the wash. As for the “Will Smith” tweets, the author of his missives is actually a “white man from Nashville, Tennessee.”  Nor is Will Ferrell the Will Ferrell — his spokesman says his tweet was a hoax.

    Not that it will make any difference. The main thing about faked news is that it shouldn’t matter whether it is in the slightest degree true. It is far more important for the news to confirm what we want to hear: our deepest suspicions about our neighbor or our wildest vanities about ourselves. People will believe it because they want to. As for the truth, well what about it?

    Even the most basic facts becomes surprisingly irrelevant. Media Matters, for example, apologized to Matt Drudge after accusing him of being a “racist demagogue” for running a fake photo of the victim — only to discover it was actually a real photo. You would have thought Media Matters would know true from fake to play the fact-check game, but really, why would factuality be important?

    Winston Churchill once observed that “a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” The immense power of kuryente consists in that it operates in the world of myth. It does not belong in the universe of fact. Hence what happened when, who liked what, what reasons there were for which: these are irrelevant.

    via PJ Media.

    An amazing piece.  Go read the whole thing.  It’s well worth it.

    The author, Richard Fernandez, has pulled an incredible excerpt from George Orwell that mirrors exactly what we’re going through with the Trayvon Martin situation.

    What have we become when we cannot identify — nor really care for — the truth?

  • Trayvon Martin’ death vs. 16 Others… Every Day

    A lot of energy is being focused on the death of Trayvon Martin as a sign of racism in our society.  Yet I find myself deeply troubled by the very selective upset of civil rights leaders.  In 2010, 6470 blacks were murdered in the United States, more than 17 per day.  Examining the single offender/victim table shows that 90% of black murder victims were murdered by another black. (No surprise: most murder is within race.)  I don’t mean to suggest that Trayvon Martin’s death is unimportant.  But where is the outrage and fury of the civil rights groups about the 16 black-on-black murders that happen every day in the U.S.?  We don’t know if Zimmerman did something criminal, or just something stupid that led to Trayvon Martin’s death.  But we do know that every day there are sixteen black-on-black murders in the U.S., and they almost never receive this kind of attention and concern. Or is it only a concern if the killer isn’t black?

    via PJ Media.

    Indeed.

  • Black Male Code – Good for Whites Too!

    AP writer Jesse Washington recently wrote about having to tell his 12 y/o son about the Black Male Code as a result of the Trayvon Martin fiasco.

    As I explained it, the Code goes like this:

    Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.

    Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.

    Please don’t assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are.

    via MSNBC.

    This is a good start; but one should remove all references to race (do you really think it’s ok for white people to argue with the police?) and then beef it up a little.  Further, it’s not about dealing with people who might “have a badge or a gun,” it’s about being polite to everyone in society.  It’s getting a little crowed here and we all have to get along.

    As an attorney I get asked on a regular basis something like, “What should I do when [insert interaction with police here.]  Here’s what I tell my generally white, generally upper middle class, generally men, who generally are driving a late model imported car about how to handle traffic stops:

    • pull over as soon as it’s safe when you see the “lights” come on;
    • turn the car OFF;
    • roll down ALL the windows, yes, the back one’s too;
    • remove the keys from the ignition and place on the dashboard;
    • make sure your foot is off the brake;
    • if dark, turn the interior lights on;
    • turn the radio off;
    • place your cell phone on the dashboard;
    • do NOT fidget trying to get your wallet out of your pocket (purse) or ins. card from the console;
    • do NOT turn around looking for the officer to approach;
    • keep your hands on the steering wheel or out the window;
    If you simply do that you’re doing better than most people the officer pulled over that day and the interaction between you and the officer should go more smoothly than if you did not do these things. However that’s really only the beginning.  You should also:
    • Answer all of the officer’s questions simply and directly;
    • do NOT admit guilt – but do NOT argue;
    • if you’re asked for something you have to reach for, ask permission to get it (e.g. “My drivers license is in my wallet in my back pocket, may I get it?”;)
    •  describe all of your actions to the officer BEFORE you do them (e.g. “Proof in insurance is in my glove box it’s just a piece of paper but I also have a silver case for my sunglasses in there, I’m going to have to remove that first.”;)
    • follow all of the officers instructions, if you’re told to get out of the car, don’t argue or ask why, just get out of the car;
    • be polite, engage in a conversation as normally as possible;
    • if you have questions ask them but do not interrupt.

    You get the idea.  Now, would it be fair to say that this should become the Upper Middle Class Imported Car Driving White Male Code?  Of course not.  This is advice for everyone regardless of age, race, gender, and automobile country of origin.

    If we keep trying to focus on ways that we’re different we’ll never discover all the ways that we’re the same.  When it comes to dealing with authority figures, we’re all very much the same.

  • Chicago Man, 80, Charged After Shooting Burglar

    Neighbors say they’re “outraged” that an 80-year-old owner of a local tavern has been charged after shooting a burglar who broke into his home in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side.

    “What does it say to me and other senior citizens that we will be arrested if we defend ourselves?” asked Anita Dominique, head of the block club in the neighborhood. “This is an outrage.”

    Police say Homer Wright was inside his home in the 6400 block of South Morgan Street about 6:30 a.m. Monday when someone broke through several boards and entered through a rear bathroom window and tried to steal some liquor. Wright grabbed a handgun and shot the burglar in the lower right leg, police said.

    Anthony Robinson, 19, of the 6000 block of South Wood Street, was charged with felony burglary after he was treated at St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center and released.

    Wright was charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon after police discovered he had two prior weapons convictions from 1968 and 1994, officials said. Records show Wright also was convicted of theft in 1990. Wright turned his gun over to detectives.

    via Chicago Tribune.

    This is kinda a fine line here.  If Mr. Wright is really a felon, then he probably shouldn’t be handling any firearms.  But as a society we need to face up to the fact that the police cannot be everywhere and as it turns out Mr. Wright does have a very real need to be able to defend himself.

    What I wonder is why throw the book at Mr. Wright and not the countless gang bangers running around with guns?  I still want to know how many weapons possession cases Anita Alvarez has referred to the fed’s for prosecution.

  • Chicago: 1 Night, 8 Shot, 2 Dead

    A 22-year-old man was fatally shot in a Far South Side liquor store Saturday evening, police said, and a 46-year-old man was killed about 45 minutes later.

    At least six others were shot on the South and West sides overnight.

    via Chicago Tribune.

    While notable, not a record.

    At the time of the story, 36 hours ago, there was no word from the mayor about how he was going to stop the carnage.  Today there was news on that:

    One week after dozens of people were shot in a deadly outburst of street violence, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Garry McCarthy sought Monday to assure the public they are focused on combating gang crime.

    The announcement of a gang crackdown on the West Side was the first joint appearance by Emanuel and McCarthy since news broke that 10 people were fatally shot over the March 17-18 weekend, including a 6-year-old girl. Police say gangs are largely responsible for the violent start to 2012 in Chicago, which has seen fatal and nonfatal shootings on the rise.

    via Chicago Tribune.

    Good luck.  My guess is that you’re going to have to get about 1,500 new kids into the police academy.  That would really put more cops on the street.  All the cops I know can’t get too wrapped-up in gang matters because they spend every shift running from call to call to call to call.  Cops on the street need to have a little down time to work the issue on the streets, cultivate contacts, bring in informants, and keep the little kids out of trouble.  Right now there’s just no time for any of that.

    And then we have to look at Anita Alvarez, and the elected judges of Cook County.  The message needs to be sent that if you’re a gang-banger and get caught you’re going to do serious time.  Every weapons possession by a felon needs to be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s office for federal prosecution.

    Eventually the gang will get the message… but you can’t send this message when you’re short 1,500 people.

  • Holding a Gun Gives You a Bias

    I’m not saying the “researchers” (a/k/a ivory tower academics) got it wrong, but they definitely have not thought through all the conclusions.

    A new study from the University of Notre Dame found that if you’re holding a gun, you are more likely to think others are packing heat as well.

    [T]he study was led by Notre Dame’s Associate Professor of Psychology James Brockmole, a specialist in human cognition and how the visual world guides behavior, with a colleague from Purdue University.  The research team conducted five experiments where participants, who either held a toy gun or a neutral object, viewed images of people on a computer screen and were asked to determine if they were holding a gun or another object, such as soda bottle or cellphone:

    The researchers varied the situation in each experiment — such as having the people in the images sometimes wear ski masks, changing the race of the person in the image or changing the reaction subjects were to have when they perceived the person in the image to hold a gun. Regardless of the situation the observers found themselves in, the study showed that responding with a gun biased observers to report “gun present” more than did responding with a ball. Thus, by virtue of affording the subject the opportunity to use a gun, he or she was more likely to classify objects in a scene as a gun and, as a result, to engage in threat-induced behavior, such as raising a firearm to shoot.

    […]

    The researchers showed that the ability to act is a key factor in the effects by showing that simply letting observers see a nearby gun did not influence their behavior; holding and using the gun was important.

    Brockmole said that this study shows that “people have a hard time separating their thoughts about what they perceive and their thoughts about how they can or should act.” Brockmole said in addition to “theoretical implications for event perception and object identification,” this research could also be considered for law enforcement and public safety implications. The infamous shooting of Amadou Diallo by plain clothes New York City police officers in 1999 comes to mind as an example. Diallo was unarmed and when approached by police at his doorstep who asked him to show his hands. Diallo reached into his pocket with his wallet in hand. In the low morning light, police identified this object as a gun and shot Diallo 19 times.

    via TheBlaze.com.

    I say the “researchers” are missing the much bigger picture here.  While unfortunate, it’s far more common for an armed criminal to shoot an unarmed victim than for a police officer to shoot an unarmed uncooperative person.

    Maybe they should apply their research to why criminals shoot first and ask questions later.   Perhaps while the criminal is standing in the convenience store holding the gun, they have a hard time separating their thoughts about what they perceive and their thoughts about how they can or should act.

    Cops kill maybe 100 folks a year nationwide.  Criminals kills 50,000 folks each year with guns.  Which is the bigger picture?