I've never met, Mr. Tony Rohr, but I like him.
According to MSN, Brother Rohr began working for the people who own Pizza Hut as a cook a number of years ago. He rose through the ranks and recently was made the General Manager of an Elkhart, Indiana store.
A couple of days ago he was told his new place had made a "competitive decision" to open on Thanksgiving Day. In their words, "everyone else is open so we will be too."
Tony Rohr had a problem with that logic. "I just decided I wasn't going to agree to it, " he was quoted as saying. He added, "All of these people the whole year had been told they were going to have the day off."
When asked about the other restaurant chains being open, his response was, "Why can't we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and let them have the day off?"
While not quite as politically and socially charged as some questions posed by, say, the late Bishop Oscar Romero the pointed query did inspire an immediate response by the Pizza Hut powers that be. Yes, Mr. Rohr is now unemployed.
Well there is capitalism for you. It is what the current Pope recently called, "The idolatry of money."
Sometimes you have to wonder what those family values republicans keep talking about actually are. The list of businesses looking for your shopping dollar on Thanksgiving Day grows every November. The number of employees stuck working on a day no one is supposed to does too. MSN reports this year Macy's, J.C. Penny's, and Staples will all open for the first time in their histories tomorrow. Toys R Us will open at 5pm in the afternoon and K Mart will fire up the cash registers at 6am in the morning. Screw the original meaning of the holiday, there is a buck to be made.
The only places left in the nation where lawmakers sort of understand the day is meant to be about family is Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. In those states large grocery chains, department stores, and what is termed as "large box stores" are forced to remain closed by law. However even in those parts of New England there is a vast number of exceptions, including, among others, convenience stores, pharmacies, and restaurants like the one Tony Rohr used to work for.
Of course we can't lay it all off on the greedheads who run the chains. This is the weekend when incomprehensible numbers of Americans go a little funny in the head. Teeming masses storm the front doors of places like Walmart as if they were the Mexican army pouring through the smashed gates of the Alamo. Reason, for many, goes the way of the Dodo as some sort of extra terrestrial frenzy takes over. The cold truth is if none of us were to show up the stores wouldn't open, but unfortunately we do--in huge, desperate, mobs. As Walt Kelly once famously said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."
It is a new world and I've never been opposed to the world evolving, becoming a better place. Sometimes though I fear we've lost all that is good about the old one in the transition.
People of a certain age remember the past as the good old days because they recall all the best times and none of the worst.
Thanksgiving Day used to be one of those precious few best times. Now, for far too many, it is just another cruddy Thursday.
Indeed. Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century.
Mr. Sulu, you have the con.
11-27-13
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
The Motive for Adam Lanza is in: He Was Nuts
In a report released yesterday the Connecticut State Attorney said Adam Lanza had no clear motive for shooting 20 babies and 6 adults last December at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT.
That is, in the final analysis, an obtuse way of saying he planned and carried out the deadly assault because--well--he was as nuts as Donald Duck on Nazi crank. I hate to belabor the obvious, but I believe large numbers of the general public, myself included, have already come to that conclusion.
Indeed, very little of what was released yesterday is new. The study decided he picked Sandy Hook to attack for the most basic of all reasons--it was the closest school to his home. He was packing a Bushmaster .223 semi automatic rifle and a Glock .9 mm hand weapon. He fired 154 rounds and had 147 left when he blew his own brains out. He used the rifle on the children and teachers and then the Glock on himself.
The report also notes he was obsessed with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting perpetrated by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. In fact, he was fascinated by all manner of mass shootings and even played a delightful computer game titled, "School Shooting" in which the player controls the video actions of someone running around a school murdering people.
Yes, we either knew all this, or should have forseen it with a fair degree of accuracy during the past 11 plus months. Now, we have to decide what does all the information presented bring us to?
It is very fashionable these days for NRA types to claim mass shootings are not the fault of semi automatic weapons, or high capacity ammo clips, or anything else that might cause reasonable people to think maybe these things shouldn't be sold to the general public. In fact, it is almost guaranteed that after some horrific massacre, some puffy, white faced, National Rifle Association shill will whine it happened because the American mental health system failed us. You bet, if Adam Lanza had been diagnosed correctly he wouldn't have been able to get his hands on a semi automatic rifle and a few 30 round banana clips.
That is, as they say, easier said than done. Young Mr. Lanza's lack of sanity is not in question. According to the report his mother told friends he hadn't gone out anywhere in the three months prior to the killings--that she and him communicated only through emails even though they were living in the same house.
However, she never told a soul she thought her son was dangerous. In fact she considered him such a cute puppy she had written a check so he could pick up a pistol as a Christmas present. It was never cashed because he shot her in the face four times before meandering over to Sandy Hook later that God awful morning.
The truth is, the report says, "He had a familiarity with and access to firearms and ammunition and an obsession with mass murders." It also says, "there is no evidence he gave any indication he'd commit the crime."
What a surprise. He was a lunatic who refused to take meds, or participate in therapy, but, guess what, he also decided not to walk around telling everyone how he lusted for blood. That might be because really crazy people don't admit they are crazy. If they do, they get locked up. I mean, you didn't see Seung-Hui Cho telling the clerk at a Virginia gun store, "You know, I think I'll go shoot up the VA Tech campus, or Jimmy Holmes ask a salesperson how effective his newest purchase would be if he opened fire inside a crowded theater.
From the report we've learned the Lanza family dynamic was so twisted the kid told an acquaintance in 2011 he wasn't getting along with his mother because, "her behavior wasn't rational."
Despite all this, no one, not a single person who knew them, saw the nightmare coming.
The Connecticut report says Adam Lanza had significant mental health issues. It also said, "he had been prescribed both therapy and medication, but no health professionals saw any violent tendencies.
In short, it is pretty fucking tough to figure out if someone is dangerously bats.
So, it would appear we have two choices here. We can chuck every man, woman, and child into an asylum for a little while so a state paid shrink can decide if they're buggy or not. Or, we can restrict the sales of weapons that are the envy of every guerrilla movement on the African continent.
Now, which of those two options do you think is less restrictive, or intrusive upon the rights of the average American?
I can't believe we're still arguing about this.
No wonder much of the world considers us nothing more than grotesque barbarians.
I want a drink.
sic vita est
11-26-13
That is, in the final analysis, an obtuse way of saying he planned and carried out the deadly assault because--well--he was as nuts as Donald Duck on Nazi crank. I hate to belabor the obvious, but I believe large numbers of the general public, myself included, have already come to that conclusion.
Indeed, very little of what was released yesterday is new. The study decided he picked Sandy Hook to attack for the most basic of all reasons--it was the closest school to his home. He was packing a Bushmaster .223 semi automatic rifle and a Glock .9 mm hand weapon. He fired 154 rounds and had 147 left when he blew his own brains out. He used the rifle on the children and teachers and then the Glock on himself.
The report also notes he was obsessed with the 1999 Columbine High School shooting perpetrated by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. In fact, he was fascinated by all manner of mass shootings and even played a delightful computer game titled, "School Shooting" in which the player controls the video actions of someone running around a school murdering people.
Yes, we either knew all this, or should have forseen it with a fair degree of accuracy during the past 11 plus months. Now, we have to decide what does all the information presented bring us to?
It is very fashionable these days for NRA types to claim mass shootings are not the fault of semi automatic weapons, or high capacity ammo clips, or anything else that might cause reasonable people to think maybe these things shouldn't be sold to the general public. In fact, it is almost guaranteed that after some horrific massacre, some puffy, white faced, National Rifle Association shill will whine it happened because the American mental health system failed us. You bet, if Adam Lanza had been diagnosed correctly he wouldn't have been able to get his hands on a semi automatic rifle and a few 30 round banana clips.
That is, as they say, easier said than done. Young Mr. Lanza's lack of sanity is not in question. According to the report his mother told friends he hadn't gone out anywhere in the three months prior to the killings--that she and him communicated only through emails even though they were living in the same house.
However, she never told a soul she thought her son was dangerous. In fact she considered him such a cute puppy she had written a check so he could pick up a pistol as a Christmas present. It was never cashed because he shot her in the face four times before meandering over to Sandy Hook later that God awful morning.
The truth is, the report says, "He had a familiarity with and access to firearms and ammunition and an obsession with mass murders." It also says, "there is no evidence he gave any indication he'd commit the crime."
What a surprise. He was a lunatic who refused to take meds, or participate in therapy, but, guess what, he also decided not to walk around telling everyone how he lusted for blood. That might be because really crazy people don't admit they are crazy. If they do, they get locked up. I mean, you didn't see Seung-Hui Cho telling the clerk at a Virginia gun store, "You know, I think I'll go shoot up the VA Tech campus, or Jimmy Holmes ask a salesperson how effective his newest purchase would be if he opened fire inside a crowded theater.
From the report we've learned the Lanza family dynamic was so twisted the kid told an acquaintance in 2011 he wasn't getting along with his mother because, "her behavior wasn't rational."
Despite all this, no one, not a single person who knew them, saw the nightmare coming.
The Connecticut report says Adam Lanza had significant mental health issues. It also said, "he had been prescribed both therapy and medication, but no health professionals saw any violent tendencies.
In short, it is pretty fucking tough to figure out if someone is dangerously bats.
So, it would appear we have two choices here. We can chuck every man, woman, and child into an asylum for a little while so a state paid shrink can decide if they're buggy or not. Or, we can restrict the sales of weapons that are the envy of every guerrilla movement on the African continent.
Now, which of those two options do you think is less restrictive, or intrusive upon the rights of the average American?
I can't believe we're still arguing about this.
No wonder much of the world considers us nothing more than grotesque barbarians.
I want a drink.
sic vita est
11-26-13
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Ambassador All Around the World Initiative and the NRA Moment of the Weekend
There is some terrible misunderstanding that's taken place here.
Jeff Newman
Well that happens a lot when it comes to North Korea and Kim Jong-un.
Jeff Newman's father, Merrill is 85 years old and likes to travel to strange places in this world. That is why he was on a 10 day trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was scheduled to leave on October 26th, but right before take off a member of the North Korean military pulled him off the plane that was due to fly out of Pyongyang. It is the last anyone has seen, or heard of him.
The local authorities have confirmed they have an American citizen in custody, but have refused to release a name, because--you know--there are so many Americans not named Dennis Rodman be-bopping around North Korea at the moment.
The elder Newman's travelling companion, Bob Hamrdla, who was allowed out of the country, says the trouble may have started when Newman and his tour guide were interviewed by some North Korean muckety-mucks the day before he was detained. That would be the exact moment Kim's boys discovered Mr. Newman had served with the U.S. military on the Korean peninsula, during the Korean war. Sort of like the actors in the movie and T.V. show M.A.S.H. except, in his case, it was for real.
Newman's family has said he has a heart condition and needs daily medication. The Swedes, who represent U.S. interests in North Korea, have been trying to get the meds to him, but so far have been unsuccessful.
So, what is to happen? What would those grandiose, yet paranoid, clowns want with an 85 year old grandfather, who just happened to get assigned to a combat theater 63 years ago?
Let's go back to Rodman for a second. According to the self proclaimed "ambassador all around the world," he is putting together a team of retired NBA players in order to conduct a basketball exhibition tour next month in the DPRK. This, despite a state department warning to Americans not to travel there.
When questioned the other day about not only Merrill Newman, but the aforementioned, Mr. Kim, Rodman was quoted as saying, "He's (Kim) my friend first--other than that I don't give a damn what he does."
Really?
Why does the cynic in me think Dennis Rodman is going to solidify his diplomatic standing both here and abroad sometime next month. Of course he will. All he has to do is convince "his friend" to release frail old Merrill Newman while he is in North Korea playing hoops and yuking it up with the newly formed Central Committee of Basketball Exhibitions, or some other such thing. At that point, in his mind anyway, Rodman will have to be taken seriously, something that was severely lacking during his last few years in the pros. It is a personal insult he has publicly whined about. In addition, Kim, who not only possesses nuclear weapons, but apparently is as crazy as a wolverine on meth, will think he actually has a valid representative in the west--one who will have the ear of, not only the public, but the government of the United States of, by God, America. Indeed, who among us won't listen to Dennis Rodman when he comes home with Merrill Newman in tow?
Hey, as comedienne Judy Tenuta once said, "It could happen." And given the IQs of the parties involved does such a scenario sound that far fetched? I didn't think so.
Meanwhile, closer to home, we had our National Rifle Association moment of the weekend in Nashville, TN early Saturday morning. A country and western musician named Wayne Mills went bar hopping with some pals Friday night after attending a George Jones tribute concert. They ended up in a joint called the Pit and Barrel after hours. An argument ensued with the bar's owner because Mills lit up a cigarette in a non-smoking area of the establishment. Before it was done, he was shot to death.
The owner of the place, Chris Ferrell, has claimed the shooting was in self defense. Police are investigating. Charges have yet to be filed because, yes, Mr. Ferrell is licensed to carry a hand gun. I mean, let's face it, you never know when a deadly ass hole is going to assault you with second hand smoke in a closed bar. That's right. Stand your ground, baby.
With less than a month to go before the one year anniversary of the Newtown, CT shootings, Slate and @GunDeaths report 10,833 Americans have been murdered with guns.
The ambassador all around the world has yet to comment on the domestic carnage.
Obviously, more important things are on his mind.
sic vita est
11-25-13
Jeff Newman
Well that happens a lot when it comes to North Korea and Kim Jong-un.
Jeff Newman's father, Merrill is 85 years old and likes to travel to strange places in this world. That is why he was on a 10 day trip to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He was scheduled to leave on October 26th, but right before take off a member of the North Korean military pulled him off the plane that was due to fly out of Pyongyang. It is the last anyone has seen, or heard of him.
The local authorities have confirmed they have an American citizen in custody, but have refused to release a name, because--you know--there are so many Americans not named Dennis Rodman be-bopping around North Korea at the moment.
The elder Newman's travelling companion, Bob Hamrdla, who was allowed out of the country, says the trouble may have started when Newman and his tour guide were interviewed by some North Korean muckety-mucks the day before he was detained. That would be the exact moment Kim's boys discovered Mr. Newman had served with the U.S. military on the Korean peninsula, during the Korean war. Sort of like the actors in the movie and T.V. show M.A.S.H. except, in his case, it was for real.
Newman's family has said he has a heart condition and needs daily medication. The Swedes, who represent U.S. interests in North Korea, have been trying to get the meds to him, but so far have been unsuccessful.
So, what is to happen? What would those grandiose, yet paranoid, clowns want with an 85 year old grandfather, who just happened to get assigned to a combat theater 63 years ago?
Let's go back to Rodman for a second. According to the self proclaimed "ambassador all around the world," he is putting together a team of retired NBA players in order to conduct a basketball exhibition tour next month in the DPRK. This, despite a state department warning to Americans not to travel there.
When questioned the other day about not only Merrill Newman, but the aforementioned, Mr. Kim, Rodman was quoted as saying, "He's (Kim) my friend first--other than that I don't give a damn what he does."
Really?
Why does the cynic in me think Dennis Rodman is going to solidify his diplomatic standing both here and abroad sometime next month. Of course he will. All he has to do is convince "his friend" to release frail old Merrill Newman while he is in North Korea playing hoops and yuking it up with the newly formed Central Committee of Basketball Exhibitions, or some other such thing. At that point, in his mind anyway, Rodman will have to be taken seriously, something that was severely lacking during his last few years in the pros. It is a personal insult he has publicly whined about. In addition, Kim, who not only possesses nuclear weapons, but apparently is as crazy as a wolverine on meth, will think he actually has a valid representative in the west--one who will have the ear of, not only the public, but the government of the United States of, by God, America. Indeed, who among us won't listen to Dennis Rodman when he comes home with Merrill Newman in tow?
Hey, as comedienne Judy Tenuta once said, "It could happen." And given the IQs of the parties involved does such a scenario sound that far fetched? I didn't think so.
Meanwhile, closer to home, we had our National Rifle Association moment of the weekend in Nashville, TN early Saturday morning. A country and western musician named Wayne Mills went bar hopping with some pals Friday night after attending a George Jones tribute concert. They ended up in a joint called the Pit and Barrel after hours. An argument ensued with the bar's owner because Mills lit up a cigarette in a non-smoking area of the establishment. Before it was done, he was shot to death.
The owner of the place, Chris Ferrell, has claimed the shooting was in self defense. Police are investigating. Charges have yet to be filed because, yes, Mr. Ferrell is licensed to carry a hand gun. I mean, let's face it, you never know when a deadly ass hole is going to assault you with second hand smoke in a closed bar. That's right. Stand your ground, baby.
With less than a month to go before the one year anniversary of the Newtown, CT shootings, Slate and @GunDeaths report 10,833 Americans have been murdered with guns.
The ambassador all around the world has yet to comment on the domestic carnage.
Obviously, more important things are on his mind.
sic vita est
11-25-13
Thursday, November 21, 2013
The Magic Number Changes: No More Minority Rule
The media has called today's Senate vote the nuclear option. The reason for the moniker is a bit murky. It isn't like we actually dropped a big ol' bomb on someone. There was no mass loss of life. In fact there was no loss of life at all. Neither was there any physical damage to a city, or plague of radiation spreading death and disease like some creeping green amorphous avenging angel.
It was, in reality, nothing more than a simple rule change. You know--like offensive holding in American football used to be a fifteen yard penalty, but now is only ten.
Here was, until today, the situation. The president of these United States got to nominate people to become federal judges, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors and so on. Those persons could not, however, hold office until they were confirmed by the Senate. To be confirmed, a majority of Senators had to vote in their favor--but not just any majority. It took what is sometimes called a super majority. In other words even though there are 100 Senators and a majority of that number in any other part of the real world is 51, during the confirmation process the figure magically rose to 60. This is, what I like to describe as, minority rule. What else would you call it when four tenths of the voters, plus one, control what six tenths of the others, minus one, want?
In theory it was meant to make sure nominees, especially those proposed to a seat on the federal bench, where it is a life time appointment, would be required to meet a higher standard.
Unfortunately, for the past four plus years, the GOP hasn't been interested in who gets nominated. They have been far more concerned with who did the nominating. And, if it was the tall, thin, black guy sitting in the oval office, well then fuck him and the nominee.
Today, tired of what has become just another avenue for republicans to thwart anything and everything Barack Obama thinks is good for the country, 52 Senators voted to throw out the super majority rule. Now it will take 51 yes votes, a true mathematical majority, like we learned in elementary school, to enable the Senate to fill a judicial void--that one which has been probably been sitting open for two years and would remain that way for another three, so long as Mitch McConnell and his gang of cut throats are running loose in the upper chamber.
NBC News quoted New York Senator, Chuck Schumer as saying, "The age old rules of the Senate are being used to paralyze us. The public is asking, begging, us to act."
Obama took to the air and said of the 60 vote threshold, "It is no longer used in a responsible way to govern. It is rather used as a reckless and relentless tool to grind all business to a stop. That is not what our founders intended."
Predictably, Mitch McConnell called the vote, "a power grab." He also warned darkly, "You may regret this sooner than you think."
As my kids used to say, "whatever."
Obviously, there is no doubt, somewhere down the road, the GOP will regain control of the Senate and, no matter how loud they screech now, they'll gleefully exploit this change in procedure. We'll meet that train when it rolls in. Right now there is a huge log jam of nominees and jobs which are vacant. Finally, Obama can do his job and fill them.
NBC noted the rule change will not effect Supreme Court nominations. So yes, Mitch, can still gum up the works if the president has to fill a seat there.
The cold truth is the two hundred year old rule would have never been changed had the tea party hacks, the hard right edge of the GOP, actually looked at each nominee and judged them by their merits and intellects, not by who put their name in play. They refused to do so time and time again because of their pathological hatred of Obama and abject fear of media demagogues like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly.
Hey guys, call us back when you realize what being a U.S. Senator really means. Trust me, the democrats will talk to you about traditions and rules then.
It has turned dark and cold here on the southern plains. A bitter wind is blowing out of the north and fast moving curtains of drizzle are whipping across the streets.
Luckily, at least 52 people in this country have seen the light and realized running the government is more than just putting on a spiffy blue suit and saying no to everything. Indeed--sometimes the majority does actually have the guts to rule. How refreshing it is.
It's time for a cocktail.
Say good night, Gracie.
11-21-13
It was, in reality, nothing more than a simple rule change. You know--like offensive holding in American football used to be a fifteen yard penalty, but now is only ten.
Here was, until today, the situation. The president of these United States got to nominate people to become federal judges, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors and so on. Those persons could not, however, hold office until they were confirmed by the Senate. To be confirmed, a majority of Senators had to vote in their favor--but not just any majority. It took what is sometimes called a super majority. In other words even though there are 100 Senators and a majority of that number in any other part of the real world is 51, during the confirmation process the figure magically rose to 60. This is, what I like to describe as, minority rule. What else would you call it when four tenths of the voters, plus one, control what six tenths of the others, minus one, want?
In theory it was meant to make sure nominees, especially those proposed to a seat on the federal bench, where it is a life time appointment, would be required to meet a higher standard.
Unfortunately, for the past four plus years, the GOP hasn't been interested in who gets nominated. They have been far more concerned with who did the nominating. And, if it was the tall, thin, black guy sitting in the oval office, well then fuck him and the nominee.
Today, tired of what has become just another avenue for republicans to thwart anything and everything Barack Obama thinks is good for the country, 52 Senators voted to throw out the super majority rule. Now it will take 51 yes votes, a true mathematical majority, like we learned in elementary school, to enable the Senate to fill a judicial void--that one which has been probably been sitting open for two years and would remain that way for another three, so long as Mitch McConnell and his gang of cut throats are running loose in the upper chamber.
NBC News quoted New York Senator, Chuck Schumer as saying, "The age old rules of the Senate are being used to paralyze us. The public is asking, begging, us to act."
Obama took to the air and said of the 60 vote threshold, "It is no longer used in a responsible way to govern. It is rather used as a reckless and relentless tool to grind all business to a stop. That is not what our founders intended."
Predictably, Mitch McConnell called the vote, "a power grab." He also warned darkly, "You may regret this sooner than you think."
As my kids used to say, "whatever."
Obviously, there is no doubt, somewhere down the road, the GOP will regain control of the Senate and, no matter how loud they screech now, they'll gleefully exploit this change in procedure. We'll meet that train when it rolls in. Right now there is a huge log jam of nominees and jobs which are vacant. Finally, Obama can do his job and fill them.
NBC noted the rule change will not effect Supreme Court nominations. So yes, Mitch, can still gum up the works if the president has to fill a seat there.
The cold truth is the two hundred year old rule would have never been changed had the tea party hacks, the hard right edge of the GOP, actually looked at each nominee and judged them by their merits and intellects, not by who put their name in play. They refused to do so time and time again because of their pathological hatred of Obama and abject fear of media demagogues like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly.
Hey guys, call us back when you realize what being a U.S. Senator really means. Trust me, the democrats will talk to you about traditions and rules then.
It has turned dark and cold here on the southern plains. A bitter wind is blowing out of the north and fast moving curtains of drizzle are whipping across the streets.
Luckily, at least 52 people in this country have seen the light and realized running the government is more than just putting on a spiffy blue suit and saying no to everything. Indeed--sometimes the majority does actually have the guts to rule. How refreshing it is.
It's time for a cocktail.
Say good night, Gracie.
11-21-13
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
A Coda For Danielle Marie Cooley
Coda: A more or less independent passage at the end of a composition introduced to bring it to a satisfactory close.
Well there certainly isn't anything satisfactory about the sentencing of Danielle Marie Cooley. You can never use a word like that when it comes to a gruesome saga like this. Last week, Ms. Cooley was ordered to serve nine years for her part in the killing of Kelsey Bransby two autumns ago. She was in the dock because she violated the terms of her probation. Not even becoming the state's star witness in the trial of co-defendant, Cole Hopper could bail her out of the hole she dug for herself.
From the moment the gun went off, Hopper was spewing a squalid stream of lies and excuses. He continued them right up until he was hit with nine years this summer. Cooley, pleaded out and was cut a deal in exchange for her testimony, but she refused to stop doing the smoke, or shooting up. After failing a drug test she was ordered to face a judge in early August. Reality and panic set in about the same time she was supposed to show up on the 7th of that month. Facing certain revocation of her probation, she flew the coop.
Her behavior was so bent her first lawyer withdrew from the case. She was rounded up in short order and her second attorney tried to soften the blow by calling a witness from the Cleveland County S-CAP. According to the Facebook page of S-CAP, it began in 2010 through the auspices of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department. It is a self described, "diversionary and re-entry program for non-violent female offenders incarcerated in the Cleveland County Detention Center for 40 days." The page claims S-CAP has served over 364 women and their children and has reduced recidivism by 70%.
Well, you can't win them all.
The court record shows Danielle Cooley is going away now and before she is released she must successfully complete what is called an RTP program. Basically, it is an extended process of rehabilitation from chemical dependency. There is a long list of steps that are explained, including group and individual therapy, family involvement sessions, and even "spiritual growth." There is a bunch of other stuff too, but in truth, after reading the entire menu you get the idea it should be accompanied by a bunch of happy face emoticons.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Danielle Cooley will turn things around in her life and walk away from this nightmare sober and productive. There is no doubt she'll be older, but the bottom line is there will never be any guarantee she won't latch onto a new needle and start kissing the sky the very moment she gets out. It is, after all, the nature of the beast and she has a real taste for it.
According to the OCIS site she was advised of her appellate rights and is scheduled back in court on November 12, 2014 for a review of her progress. Between now and then she is going to be incarcerated, so we know for certain she will show up for that date.
The only other thing we know for sure is, no matter how long both Cooley and Hopper spend in the clutches of the Department of Corrections, Kelsey Bransby will still be dead.
Tragically, there is no review, or appeals process for her. When you've been killed there is no coda.
sic vita est
11-19-13
Well there certainly isn't anything satisfactory about the sentencing of Danielle Marie Cooley. You can never use a word like that when it comes to a gruesome saga like this. Last week, Ms. Cooley was ordered to serve nine years for her part in the killing of Kelsey Bransby two autumns ago. She was in the dock because she violated the terms of her probation. Not even becoming the state's star witness in the trial of co-defendant, Cole Hopper could bail her out of the hole she dug for herself.
From the moment the gun went off, Hopper was spewing a squalid stream of lies and excuses. He continued them right up until he was hit with nine years this summer. Cooley, pleaded out and was cut a deal in exchange for her testimony, but she refused to stop doing the smoke, or shooting up. After failing a drug test she was ordered to face a judge in early August. Reality and panic set in about the same time she was supposed to show up on the 7th of that month. Facing certain revocation of her probation, she flew the coop.
Her behavior was so bent her first lawyer withdrew from the case. She was rounded up in short order and her second attorney tried to soften the blow by calling a witness from the Cleveland County S-CAP. According to the Facebook page of S-CAP, it began in 2010 through the auspices of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department. It is a self described, "diversionary and re-entry program for non-violent female offenders incarcerated in the Cleveland County Detention Center for 40 days." The page claims S-CAP has served over 364 women and their children and has reduced recidivism by 70%.
Well, you can't win them all.
The court record shows Danielle Cooley is going away now and before she is released she must successfully complete what is called an RTP program. Basically, it is an extended process of rehabilitation from chemical dependency. There is a long list of steps that are explained, including group and individual therapy, family involvement sessions, and even "spiritual growth." There is a bunch of other stuff too, but in truth, after reading the entire menu you get the idea it should be accompanied by a bunch of happy face emoticons.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Danielle Cooley will turn things around in her life and walk away from this nightmare sober and productive. There is no doubt she'll be older, but the bottom line is there will never be any guarantee she won't latch onto a new needle and start kissing the sky the very moment she gets out. It is, after all, the nature of the beast and she has a real taste for it.
According to the OCIS site she was advised of her appellate rights and is scheduled back in court on November 12, 2014 for a review of her progress. Between now and then she is going to be incarcerated, so we know for certain she will show up for that date.
The only other thing we know for sure is, no matter how long both Cooley and Hopper spend in the clutches of the Department of Corrections, Kelsey Bransby will still be dead.
Tragically, there is no review, or appeals process for her. When you've been killed there is no coda.
sic vita est
11-19-13
Monday, November 18, 2013
The Monday Blitz: George Z. Back in Jail, A Family Feud, and Charity at Walmart
I guess we should just be happy he didn't shoot anyone else.
Yes, our old pal George Zimmerman is back in custody. A report by NBC news was initially sketchy, however now details have begun to emerge. Apparently, Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, was arrested today when police responded to a disturbance call at a house in Apopka, FL. By all accounts it was a bizarre scene. Zimmerman's current girl friend, Samantha Scheibe called police and claimed Ted Nugent's hero had smashed a glass table, pointed a shotgun at her, and then pushed her out the door. According to Yahoo news, Zimmerman then barricaded himself in the house by stacking furniture against the door and told her he would only speak to the police over the phone.
The cops weren't having any of it. They pushed their way through the door and furniture and slapped the cuffs on the suspect. The report says Zimmerman was compliant as officers took him into custody. Well of course he was, The Zimster knows when he is out gunned. It is one thing to shoot an unarmed kid during a fist fight, but another entirely when the SWAT team comes charging through the door. Yahoo says the former captain of the neighborhood watch has been charged with domestic aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, domestic battery, and criminal mischief. Presumably the kitchen sink will be added to the list tomorrow morning. It is probably safe to say our man George has used up all his excuses, not to mention terminally frayed the patience of every Florida cop on duty, no matter what his or her opinion is of black teenagers in hoodies taking a stroll at night.
We last saw Quick Draw McGraw back in September when police were called to quell an argument between him and his soon to be ex-wife. No charges were filed at that time because, as always with this gruesome cretin, there were conflicting stories about not only who started the dust up, but who did what to who. Faced with yet another Zimmerman conundrum, one, luckily, not involving a dead body, the police, at the time, simply dropped their investigation.
Obviously the edge of the envelope has now been pushed to the limit of tearing. Incredibly, at this moment, as far as it is known, the Z Man retains his right to carry a concealed weapon during his travels and travails across the Sunshine State. No doubt millions of Florida's citizens are comforted by the thought and will sleep well tonight. After all, to paraphrase the NRA shills, the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a package of Skittles, is a George Zimmerman with a gun.
Meanwhile in Wyoming the Liz Cheney senate campaign is sinking into huge morass of quicksand. Her run against three term republican Mike Enzi seemed a long shot at best, but now she is not only taking flak from an ultra conservative super pac, but her own sister, Mary.
It seems that sometimes you just can't please anyone. An outfit called American Principles Group has been running ads on Wyoming TV accusing Ms. Cheney of being soft on the international threat of homosexuality in general and same sex marriage in particular. The candidate took to the air over the weekend to refute those wild and damaging accusations. She told the people at Fox she has always believed the institution of marriage should be strictly between a man and woman.
Oops. That revelation didn't go over well with her sister Mary, who is wed to a woman named Heather Poe. Mary jumped on Facebook and posted, "Liz--this isn't just an issue on which we disagree--you're just wrong and on the wrong side of history." Poe called the candidate's opinion, "offensive," and bitterly complained Liz had previously told both her and Mary how happy she was for them.
The American Principles Group latest poll shows Enzi leading Cheney among republican voters in Wyoming, 69% to 17%. Of course, we all know how deadly accurate conservative pollsters are. Dick Morris had Mitt Romney winning 325 electoral votes right up to the moment Mr. Romney's campaign flamed out on election night. Not only that, but when Dick Cheney is in the background you can never tell who is going to get paid off or end up dead in a ditch. I mean this is the same guy who shot a friend in the face during a hunting trip. Then, within hours, the wounded friend was dragged before the cameras to publicly apologize to the then vice president for getting in the way of the shotgun blast. No, you don't screw with Dick Cheney, or one suspects, a daughter of his who is running for office.
Finally up in Canton, OH a local Walmart location is collecting donations of food from it's associates, not for some charity, or local food bank, but for other Walmart employees who work in the same store. You see, it seems some Walmart employees just can't make ends meet, despite their current careers with the retail giant.
Management at the store seemed puzzled why some people are a tad appalled by this. The boys in charge issued a statement saying it was an act of kindness by associates who are just trying to assist their fellow workers during the holiday season. Of course the store itself isn't helping out with either donations, or by paying a living wage, but hey, the bottom line must be preserved at all costs. After all, we aren't a bunch of communists around here.
To further prove Walmart's concern for the thousands upon thousands of lucky people who work for it, there is what is called, The Associate Critical Need Trust. It is a non-profit set up by the corporation to provide employees with financial assistance when needed. Associates can contribute to the fund either through payroll deductions, or direct contributions. Yes, that is right, the Walton family doesn't give a dime to it. It is funded entirely by the very people they are fucking over. An estimated 50,000 Walmart employees have applied for help through the trust.
And all this time I thought the Koch brothers were the ruthless ones.
It is going to be a long week. It appears there will be an endless parade of television specials chronicling the death of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald and just about everyone else who was in Dealey Plaza that awful day fifty years ago.
At least now I can order a martini. Back then they wouldn't serve a 13 year old.
Keep the faith.
That is all.
11-18-13
Yes, our old pal George Zimmerman is back in custody. A report by NBC news was initially sketchy, however now details have begun to emerge. Apparently, Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, was arrested today when police responded to a disturbance call at a house in Apopka, FL. By all accounts it was a bizarre scene. Zimmerman's current girl friend, Samantha Scheibe called police and claimed Ted Nugent's hero had smashed a glass table, pointed a shotgun at her, and then pushed her out the door. According to Yahoo news, Zimmerman then barricaded himself in the house by stacking furniture against the door and told her he would only speak to the police over the phone.
The cops weren't having any of it. They pushed their way through the door and furniture and slapped the cuffs on the suspect. The report says Zimmerman was compliant as officers took him into custody. Well of course he was, The Zimster knows when he is out gunned. It is one thing to shoot an unarmed kid during a fist fight, but another entirely when the SWAT team comes charging through the door. Yahoo says the former captain of the neighborhood watch has been charged with domestic aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, domestic battery, and criminal mischief. Presumably the kitchen sink will be added to the list tomorrow morning. It is probably safe to say our man George has used up all his excuses, not to mention terminally frayed the patience of every Florida cop on duty, no matter what his or her opinion is of black teenagers in hoodies taking a stroll at night.
We last saw Quick Draw McGraw back in September when police were called to quell an argument between him and his soon to be ex-wife. No charges were filed at that time because, as always with this gruesome cretin, there were conflicting stories about not only who started the dust up, but who did what to who. Faced with yet another Zimmerman conundrum, one, luckily, not involving a dead body, the police, at the time, simply dropped their investigation.
Obviously the edge of the envelope has now been pushed to the limit of tearing. Incredibly, at this moment, as far as it is known, the Z Man retains his right to carry a concealed weapon during his travels and travails across the Sunshine State. No doubt millions of Florida's citizens are comforted by the thought and will sleep well tonight. After all, to paraphrase the NRA shills, the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a package of Skittles, is a George Zimmerman with a gun.
Meanwhile in Wyoming the Liz Cheney senate campaign is sinking into huge morass of quicksand. Her run against three term republican Mike Enzi seemed a long shot at best, but now she is not only taking flak from an ultra conservative super pac, but her own sister, Mary.
It seems that sometimes you just can't please anyone. An outfit called American Principles Group has been running ads on Wyoming TV accusing Ms. Cheney of being soft on the international threat of homosexuality in general and same sex marriage in particular. The candidate took to the air over the weekend to refute those wild and damaging accusations. She told the people at Fox she has always believed the institution of marriage should be strictly between a man and woman.
Oops. That revelation didn't go over well with her sister Mary, who is wed to a woman named Heather Poe. Mary jumped on Facebook and posted, "Liz--this isn't just an issue on which we disagree--you're just wrong and on the wrong side of history." Poe called the candidate's opinion, "offensive," and bitterly complained Liz had previously told both her and Mary how happy she was for them.
The American Principles Group latest poll shows Enzi leading Cheney among republican voters in Wyoming, 69% to 17%. Of course, we all know how deadly accurate conservative pollsters are. Dick Morris had Mitt Romney winning 325 electoral votes right up to the moment Mr. Romney's campaign flamed out on election night. Not only that, but when Dick Cheney is in the background you can never tell who is going to get paid off or end up dead in a ditch. I mean this is the same guy who shot a friend in the face during a hunting trip. Then, within hours, the wounded friend was dragged before the cameras to publicly apologize to the then vice president for getting in the way of the shotgun blast. No, you don't screw with Dick Cheney, or one suspects, a daughter of his who is running for office.
Finally up in Canton, OH a local Walmart location is collecting donations of food from it's associates, not for some charity, or local food bank, but for other Walmart employees who work in the same store. You see, it seems some Walmart employees just can't make ends meet, despite their current careers with the retail giant.
Management at the store seemed puzzled why some people are a tad appalled by this. The boys in charge issued a statement saying it was an act of kindness by associates who are just trying to assist their fellow workers during the holiday season. Of course the store itself isn't helping out with either donations, or by paying a living wage, but hey, the bottom line must be preserved at all costs. After all, we aren't a bunch of communists around here.
To further prove Walmart's concern for the thousands upon thousands of lucky people who work for it, there is what is called, The Associate Critical Need Trust. It is a non-profit set up by the corporation to provide employees with financial assistance when needed. Associates can contribute to the fund either through payroll deductions, or direct contributions. Yes, that is right, the Walton family doesn't give a dime to it. It is funded entirely by the very people they are fucking over. An estimated 50,000 Walmart employees have applied for help through the trust.
And all this time I thought the Koch brothers were the ruthless ones.
It is going to be a long week. It appears there will be an endless parade of television specials chronicling the death of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald and just about everyone else who was in Dealey Plaza that awful day fifty years ago.
At least now I can order a martini. Back then they wouldn't serve a 13 year old.
Keep the faith.
That is all.
11-18-13
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday Dispatches: Democrats Head for the Life Boats, An Oops Moment in Syria, and Rob Ford Isn't Mad in Toronto
Consider the quail flushed.
Earlier today republican congressman Fred Upton's bill hit the floor of the House of Representatives. The gist of it would allow insurance companies to continue issuing health care policies to individuals, even though the coverage doesn't meet the minimum standards of the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Upton's argument is this will allow those people who have received cancellation notices to keep their current plans. However, being a republican, he couldn't help himself and he worded the bill so the same companies could sell substandard policies to new customers thereby undermining the ACA down the road.
His proposal passed with the help of 39 democrats who are suddenly trying to put as much distance between them and Barack H. Obama as possible. In a minor victory, of sorts, for the president, the number of defectors were actually less than what was originally estimated. NBC reports GOP staffers had predicted as many as 60 democrats would vote for the measure. Unfortunately for the administration there is no hiding the fact the ranks have now officially splintered.
It certainly isn't a surprise. Given what has gone on lately Obama should probably be thankful it didn't happen last month. A democratic version of the legislation went down the drain so quickly most didn't even know it existed. Chances are Harry Reid will stall Upton's bill in the Senate, but if it does get to a vote in the upper chamber there is no telling who else will rush pell-mell for the life boats. At the moment things seem perilously close to that frantic point where someone yells, "Screw the little people in steerage, it is every man and woman for themselves!" The Obama people know it and are making noises about a presidential veto if the bill hits the oval office.
Meanwhile in Syria, the boys who make up the organization known as Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham had a real OOPS moment. The group, also known by the acronym ISIS, is as busy as bees fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad. They have also been linked to al-Qaeda, which renders them pretty much humorless when it comes to prisoners of war. On Wednesday they posted a video on YouTube of one of their members holding a severed head in front of a crowd while proclaiming this was the sort of thing they would do to all of Assad's supporters.
It didn't take long for someone to mention to whoever runs ISIS the dangling head belonged to a man named Mohammed Fares and he really wasn't a supporter of Assad. In fact he had been fighting against Assad's forces for years and had just been wounded during a battle with government soldiers.
A spokesman for the group issued an apology for cutting off the shaggy noggin of the wrong guy and said something along the lines of, "sometimes these things happen." He also assured all those involved the Prophet wrote in the Quran that Allah would forgive a man for killing a believer by mistake. Well, you have to say something don't you.
Finally, up in Toronto, that party hearty Mayor, Rob Ford had a couple of his powers pared back by the city council. Ford, who is currently the world's leading candidate to die face down in a puddle of his own vomit, was barred from appointing, or removing committee chairs, or a deputy mayor. In addition his authority during a state of emergency was limited. The votes were 39-3 and 41-2 respectively. They nay votes were from Ford and his brother Doug, plus one other councillor.
Mr. Ford was quoted as saying, "I completely understand where they're coming from . If I would have had a mayor acting the way I've conducted myself I would have done the same thing." He then told the press he wasn't mad at anyone, but added, "Obviously I can't support this and I have no other options but to challenge this in court."
I don't know Rob, you might want to stay away from voluntarily entering a court room right now. Odds are, given your behavior, it won't be long before you don't have a choice.
So that is it for this Friday. It is a clear and unseasonably warm day here in the middle of Oklahoma.
And--it is time for a cocktail.
Mr. Scott you have the con. I'll be in the bar.
sic vita est
11-15-13
Earlier today republican congressman Fred Upton's bill hit the floor of the House of Representatives. The gist of it would allow insurance companies to continue issuing health care policies to individuals, even though the coverage doesn't meet the minimum standards of the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Upton's argument is this will allow those people who have received cancellation notices to keep their current plans. However, being a republican, he couldn't help himself and he worded the bill so the same companies could sell substandard policies to new customers thereby undermining the ACA down the road.
His proposal passed with the help of 39 democrats who are suddenly trying to put as much distance between them and Barack H. Obama as possible. In a minor victory, of sorts, for the president, the number of defectors were actually less than what was originally estimated. NBC reports GOP staffers had predicted as many as 60 democrats would vote for the measure. Unfortunately for the administration there is no hiding the fact the ranks have now officially splintered.
It certainly isn't a surprise. Given what has gone on lately Obama should probably be thankful it didn't happen last month. A democratic version of the legislation went down the drain so quickly most didn't even know it existed. Chances are Harry Reid will stall Upton's bill in the Senate, but if it does get to a vote in the upper chamber there is no telling who else will rush pell-mell for the life boats. At the moment things seem perilously close to that frantic point where someone yells, "Screw the little people in steerage, it is every man and woman for themselves!" The Obama people know it and are making noises about a presidential veto if the bill hits the oval office.
Meanwhile in Syria, the boys who make up the organization known as Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham had a real OOPS moment. The group, also known by the acronym ISIS, is as busy as bees fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad. They have also been linked to al-Qaeda, which renders them pretty much humorless when it comes to prisoners of war. On Wednesday they posted a video on YouTube of one of their members holding a severed head in front of a crowd while proclaiming this was the sort of thing they would do to all of Assad's supporters.
It didn't take long for someone to mention to whoever runs ISIS the dangling head belonged to a man named Mohammed Fares and he really wasn't a supporter of Assad. In fact he had been fighting against Assad's forces for years and had just been wounded during a battle with government soldiers.
A spokesman for the group issued an apology for cutting off the shaggy noggin of the wrong guy and said something along the lines of, "sometimes these things happen." He also assured all those involved the Prophet wrote in the Quran that Allah would forgive a man for killing a believer by mistake. Well, you have to say something don't you.
Finally, up in Toronto, that party hearty Mayor, Rob Ford had a couple of his powers pared back by the city council. Ford, who is currently the world's leading candidate to die face down in a puddle of his own vomit, was barred from appointing, or removing committee chairs, or a deputy mayor. In addition his authority during a state of emergency was limited. The votes were 39-3 and 41-2 respectively. They nay votes were from Ford and his brother Doug, plus one other councillor.
Mr. Ford was quoted as saying, "I completely understand where they're coming from . If I would have had a mayor acting the way I've conducted myself I would have done the same thing." He then told the press he wasn't mad at anyone, but added, "Obviously I can't support this and I have no other options but to challenge this in court."
I don't know Rob, you might want to stay away from voluntarily entering a court room right now. Odds are, given your behavior, it won't be long before you don't have a choice.
So that is it for this Friday. It is a clear and unseasonably warm day here in the middle of Oklahoma.
And--it is time for a cocktail.
Mr. Scott you have the con. I'll be in the bar.
sic vita est
11-15-13
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