February 27, 2014

can someone explain something to me.

VA house district 100.
there was a special election recently. (we got the ads on the TV that is how I know.)

Linwood Lewis Jr. held the seat and won in Nov 5 election. he won with 72% of the vote. he left to take Lt. Gov. Northam senate seat.


Willie Randall (D) vs Robert Bloxom (R) I saw lots of anti-bloxom commercials.
never saw anything from the (R), I figured and ez win for the (D)
I mean it is a fairly safe district. the (R) won 60% to 40% for Randall.
how did this happen? was Randall that weak a candidate?
all info appreciated.

February 24, 2014

detroit files plan to leave bankruptcy.

http://news.msn.com/us/detroit-files-plan-to-fix-debt-leave-bankruptcy?ocid=ansnews11

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit presented its first full road map for climbing out of bankruptcy Friday, outlining an elaborate plan to restructure $18 billion in debt, demolish thousands of blighted homes and invest in the broken-down infrastructure that has made the city a symbol of urban decay.

snip

If approved by a judge, the sweeping proposal would mean sharply reduced payments to some retirees and creditors. Pension holders could expect to get 70 percent to 90 percent of what they are owned, while many banks would receive as little as 20 percent.
The plan, which is sure to be the subject of court challenges, envisions a leaner, cleaner and safer Motor City after financial burdens are lifted.
"There is still much work in front of all of us to continue the recovery from a decades-long downward spiral," state-appointed manager Kevyn Orr said in a statement.
Orr's so-called plan of adjustment "provides the best path forward for all parties to resolve their respective issues and for Detroit to become once again a city in which people want to invest, live and work."

snip

The governor called the plan "a critical step forward." But it leaves unanswered many questions, including whether creditors and labor unions will accept the deal or fight it, and how long that process might take.
The package calls for awarding police and fire retirees at least 90 percent of their pension after eliminating cost-of-living allowances. Other retirees would receive at least 70 percent.


more at the link

February 23, 2014

ahem .... has anyone seen SCE ? missing all those sweet pics .... nt

February 21, 2014

well this isn't going to end well.

http://www.policestateusa.com/2014/new-mexico-begins-training-cops-use-deadly-force-less/

I have a real bad feeling about this.

NEW MEXICO — All new police cadets will be trained to use more deadly force, thanks to a new curriculum by director of the state’s Law Enforcement Academy. That training emphasis will take place in a cadet program that has been shortened by six full weeks.
Jack Jones, a retired Army colonel, was granted sole authority by the LEA over the training curriculum given to all of New Mexico’s new recruits. He says the old model was too restrictive with the use of deadly force.
“Evil has come to the state of New Mexico. Evil has come to the Southwest. Evil has come to the United States,” Jones said to the Santa Fe New Mexican.

snip

A former instructor named Phillip Gallegos says he was fired by Jones because he refused to teach cadets Jones’ controversial philosophy about shooting fleeing vehicles.
“This is the thing — why are you shooting at a car? You should be shooting at the individual that is shooting at you,” Gallegos said.
Another thing Mr. Jones disagrees with is teaching cadets to go for their baton when an unarmed person goes hands-on with them as an officer. The new director believes that is “too restrictive” on the use of force.

snip

When journalists filed an official request for a copy the academy’s new curriculum, Jones refused, saying it would give criminals an edge.
“I’ll burn them before you get them,” he told The New Mexican.

snip

The decision to train cadets to shoot at fleeing vehicles comes at a sensitive time for New Mexicans. In October of last year, a New Mexico State Trooper opened fire on a minivan containing a mother and 5 children that was fleeing a traffic stop. A month later, a New Mexico State Police officer shot a female driver in the back of the head for trying to evade a traffic stop.
These officers were trained under the old standards that were too “restrictive” for the modern cop.
Should New Mexicans expect a rise in deadly shootings from the students of Col. Jones?

February 20, 2014

I am against GM food - that said -

I think this is a good thing. I wonder who it was licensed to /s
the only thing I am wondering about is what else they did to it.
but if the only thing they changed was its ability to resist fungus it is a good thing.

http://www.newser.com/story/182407/scientists-build-a-better-potato.html

(Newser) – It's about 175 years late for those who perished in the Irish Potato Famine, but British researchers think they've created a potato resistant to blight, reports the Irish Times. They borrowed a gene from a South American spud and added it to the common Desiree potato. After three years of crop tests, they've declared success in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Not one of their potatoes fell victim to fungus, as opposed to regular potatoes planted nearby, reports the Scotsman.

snip

Researchers already have licensed the product to a US company but expect slower going with EU regulators over the genetically modified crop. "This kind of product will likely be on the US market within a couple of years, and if we are lucky within eight to 10 years in Europe," the not-so-happy lead scientist from Sainsbury Laboratory tells the BBC. Proponents say the potato will reduce the need for chemicals to protect crops, but skeptics says the "GM" label will be enough to put off consumers. And how do they taste? Researchers weren't allowed to eat any, so that's not known. (Last year, scientists zeroed in on the specific pathogen responsible for the famine.)