Because You Can…

Many might ask the following question.  Why would you ever strap a turbine jet engine to a boat to drive a jet pump?  The answer is the most simple of all answers, because you can.  There is a second part of this answer though.  Because it’s awesome!

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The wife and I volunteered to help the local ARES group do the communications for “Thunder on the Snake”.  What the hell is that you ask?  It is a 30 mile (one way) white water jet boat race.  Until I got the email asking for help, I didn’t even know about the sport.  Now I firmly believe NASCAR is for pussies.  I apologize for some of the pictures not being the sharpest.  My safety boat got on station as the race started.  I had to spend time getting the radios operational and didn’t have a chance to even look at my camera before the first boat showed up.  Didn’t have the lens I would have use and didn’t even have chance to glance at the camera settings before he was on top of us.  Here’s the first boat, on the first leg, of the first day.

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Yes that’s the turbine powered boat also pictured at the very top.  As you can see he got some air, but so what right?  Well here’s what happened when he came down.

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So what, it’s just water right, I mean how bad could it really be?

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That first boat ran the ~30 mile leg in 16 minutes.  Their average speed was over 110 miles per hour.  How did the little boat do that?

Overall the race was quite interesting and I’m sad I didn’t discover the sport sooner.  The world champion ships are coming to Lewiston this year, sadly though they are in April.  You know what else is in April, it starts with a B, and is down right the most fun you can have this side of the Mississippi.  My goal is to have about 3 weeks of vacation saved up by then since they won’t overlap.  Not to mention the fact that they’re bringing the races back and making it an annual event.  As a ham, I will be there to help with safety it’s no question this sport is dangerous and I’ve been told that one of the only reasons that these guys still race is because the safety net ham operators give them.  They may be crazy but suicidal they are not.

I’m posting the decent pictures that I took without labeling them.  I wanted to go through and label them by each boat.  Laziness won considering how tired I am.  Expect another post in the near future detailing the adventures of the ham radio operators north of Heller Bar and the adventures of safety boat #15.

As for my NASCAR comment:

SSCC #48–Manayunk PD

When Dray asked why the men were being arrested, he said the officers replied, “for lack of common sense.”

No charges were filed against the boaters.

Honestly I would have probably done the same thing.  Seriously how often do you get to go down the main street of any town in a raft!?  Lacks common sense, unless the current was unbelievably swift, what’s the problem.  Yeah there are snags and what have you, but as long as they stay in the raft they should be relatively fine.

These cops are puritans and nothing more.  They think their badge allows them to regulate the activities of others.  Evidence is provided in the reason they were being arrested.  I hope that some lawyer goes after those officers for that.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 48

Because it’s the job of the nanny state to arrest anyone doing something they think is outside the realm of common sense.

SSCC #47–TSA

Minnetta Walker, who was arrested in March after an 11-month investigation, admitted that she helped an alleged member of the drug ring use a fake name for traveling and helped him bypass security scanners at the airport.

The 43-year-old Buffalo woman also admitted that she once warned two of the man’s alleged drug associates that federal agents were tailing them in the airport.

Isn’t it wonderful to see such an entrepreneurial federal agent.  The discovered that her position allowed her to receive kickbacks to ignore things going on.  Even more than that, she then figured out how she could get people to pay protection money with her position.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 47

Because the TSA is just like the ATF, they need to allow criminals to break the law to help create new ones.

SSCC #42-#46–Woodford County, IL

Albertson says she had to watch the scene from the front window because police wouldn’t let her or anyone back in the house. Police say Meinders assaulted two officers and tried to disarm them twice.

"There were five of them on top of him, we couldn’t see him struggling at all," she said. "We could just see them beating him."

Interesting, if you read the article it ends up they attacked an individual who was sleeping on the couch.  The officers were responding to a “domestic” and this was their response.  Seems like this is an odd response and quick judgment for a call about a possible domestic disturbance.  I wonder if there might be something more to it?

But one Washburn resident says there is more. The same three Washburn officers beat her 60-year-old brother-in-law Lorin Warnkes at the town’s fall fest earlier that same night.

Oh yup, there we go.  The officers were bored and looking to go around beating people up.  I mean what else do you do when you’re bored and have a badge and a gun?  If you can put people in the ICU and it provides entertainment and your department is perfectly fine with your actions, why not?

How do we know the men actually did nothing wrong?  Charges have been filed against neither of them and the cops are still on duty.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 46

Because cops can walk into your house and beat the crap out of you for sleeping on your couch since your neighbor called them.

SSCC #40 & #41, Concord, CA

According to the indictment, Wielsch, 50, and Butler, 50, are alleged to have participated together in criminal activities made possible by Wielsch’s position as the commander of the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Team (CNET).

Wielsch, aided and abetted by Butler, stole from county evidence facilities methamphetamine and marijuana that had been seized in CNET operations. Wielsch and Butler sold some of the stolen narcotics and intended to sell the remainder.

Wielsch and Butler participated together in a phony "sting" operation in which they falsely detained a person under the guise of a legitimate law enforcement operation, conducted warrantless searches, and kept narcotics that were taken from the person during the "sting."

Drugs, money, and sex.  The trifecta for a triple word score.  Nothing quite like using a badge and a gun to make sure that you’re the only game in town.  It explains why the drug cartels are dealing with the DEA for protection

What better way to make money than deal drugs and rough up prostitutes.  Best part is the drugs were from other drug dealers.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 41

Because vice only applies to those who don’t work for the state.  If you work for the state, run guns and deal drugs all you want.

SSCC #39, Pittsburgh PA

Robert L. Rucker, 29, of Penn Hills, sued the city in 2008, saying that police responded after they believed that he had an argument with a woman, dragged him from his car, shocked him with a Taser, and jailed him. All but summary offenses against him were dropped, but he developed health problems and lost his job, according to his complaint.

Details in the article are lacking.  The jury found against the officers though, but sadly only awarded him 269 dollars.  Even when they’re guilty some how they get off light.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 39

Because pulling someone out of their car and tasing them is an every day occurrence.  I mean doesn’t everyone do that?

SSCC–Officer Road Rage, Round 2

He’s back in another video and just like the last one he’s making death threats.

It came out today that there is a “hearing” about the actions of Officer Harless in the previous video.  It disturbs me that there is only a hearing for disciplinary action and absolutely no charges whatsoever for his behavior.  A city councilman even attempted to justify it.

A man with a long history of issues and every time they look they other way.  Seriously I think the only way this man is going to get the punishment he deserves if he finally kills someone.  Even then I’m sure Alan Schulman will defend the shooting of the cooperative citizen.

The guy has absolutely no business being a police officer and seriously needs to stop the steroids.  The mental issues have obviously been getting worse.  Though I think in his case the loss of his testicles is going to be permanent.

Of course the Police Department is claiming that this incident has caused undue stress.

“The Canton Police Department’s operation and efficiency has been impaired due to negative phone calls and emails that have been fielded by its members (regarding the case),” the report says.

If you don’t like the heat, stay the hell out of the kitchen.  You have created this situation by ignoring a pattern and history of behavior.  If you dislike the reaction of the public to the behavior of one of your officers, maybe you should revaluate why you find his behavior acceptable.

Because the job of the Canton Police Department is to make sure its officers are free to intimidate, threaten, and harass anyone they please.

Update: Here’s another video thanks to Jake below. Once is happenstance, twice is coinicendence, three or more is enemy action. Canton needs to get a clue.

H/T to WizardPC

SSCC #38–Nashville TN

The investigation conducted by the state Comptroller’s Division of County Audit, which also found that District Attorney General Hansel McCadams and Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew liked to drive around in a seized BMW Z-3 on personal business. Auditors found that items seized from drug defendants were stolen or misused, with the administrative assistant and her ex-husband admitting to taking drugs, utility trailers, and a flat-screen television from the task force. Auditors also found that jail trustees had access to seized items and were not adequately supervised.

Awesome, what a way to get that new beamer you always wanted.  As for you crack addicts out there, the lesson is become a cop.  That way you can bust your dealer and smoke his stash.

Overall there were so many failures in this “Drug Task Force” that one must wonder how they ever got anything done.  It was a revolving door operation allowing people to take what ever seized property they wanted.

State Sponsored Criminal Count: 38

Because when you work for the state and want someone else’s stuff, you just have to seize it.  Then you just divvy the loot amongst you and your fellow state workers.