Mecca Is Growing with the Quote of the Day

Joe, Ry, Caleb, and I all headed out to the Boomershoot site today to do some work on Mecca.

Normally I take pictures, but this time posting them falls upon Ry as I didn’t take a single one.

It was productive, we assembled the new tables.  Drilled the holes for the input feed for the solar panel and WiFi.  Mounted the solar charge controller and the transfer switch.  Mounted the pole for the WiFi and started getting the brackets put together for the solar panel.  Joe has decided to mount the panel in a couple weeks.  I’ll need to head out with him with some of my tools so I can take care of re-crimping his Ethernet cable.

Overall it wasn’t a bad day other than by the end it was freezing cold since the first solid winter storm of the season is rolling in.  We actually left at a perfect time given we arrive in Moscow with snow accumulating and visibility becoming limited.

Our day started however with one of Ry’s famous statements:

Joe: Want me to get out and check the field?

Ry: Yeah you probably should, (drives out on to the field without stopping all the way up to Mecca)

It’s on video:

We didn’t get stuck, though it did get a bit hairy at the end though it still wasn’t much of a problem.  Expect pictures and video hopefully in the near future.  

SSCC #173 – Chicago PD

In May of 2010, Tapia was stopped by Chicago police officers for a minor traffic offense at 43rd and Paulina and later released. Minutes later, the police computer showed that a J. Tapia, 12 years older, 30 pounds lighter, 6 inches smaller and living 40 miles away, had an outstanding warrant. Officers stopped Tapia again and, according to official records and hospital photographs and hospital photographs, used a stun gun 11 times to subdue him.

This was an incident of mistaken identity.  When the officers got caught in that they attempted to trump resisting arrest charges to justify their force.  Ends up their lies were caught by the hospital too.

“When he went to the emergency room, they ran a complete tox screen on him for all drugs and alcohol and it was completely negative,” said Dennis Giovannini, Tapia’s laywer. “This whole situation was the blatant cover-up that the officers came up with after they realized that they had Tasered and beat up the wrong person.”

What an outstanding group of individuals that use force when it is unnecessary to such a degree as to permanently disable a peaceable citizen.  Remember though, officers are covered by qualified immunity and will not be held accountable for actions such as this.  Then people wonder why incidents like this happen.

If there’s no punishment, what negative effect is there to keep this behavior in check?

State Sponsored Criminal Count #173: John Doe

Because there’s a suspected warrant means you can tase and beat the crap out of the guy.  If it ends up a mistake, just trump up charges, the state will cover your ass.

Ear Worm 11/11/2011 – Veteran’s Day Edition

Today’s ear worm goes out to all of our veteran’s currently over seas as well as those here at home.

A thanks to: Nick, Oliver, Mikel, Doug, Allen, Christine, John, Mike, Al, Tom, Ken, Andrew, Becca, Matt, and so many others that I know.

SSCC #172 – Miami PD

Remember last week when we heard about the FHP officer who pulled over the speeding Miami PD officer. Well it appears that a bunch of Miami PD officers didn’t like that all too much.

Now, Thomas Vokaty, a Miami police officer, has been disciplined for pulling over an FHP trooper for apparently no reason.

At about 8:40 p.m. on Tuesday night Vokaty used his Miami police car to pull over an unnamed FHP trooper. Problem was Vokaty made the stop in Broward County where Miami police have no jurisdiction.

Couple that with the incident where someone smeared feces all over a FHP patrol car and you can see what the Miami PD think. They’re just like you and me, but better.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 172: Thomas Vokaty

Because by god if you’re a cop, all the other cops should just leave you the hell alone, breaking the law or not.

Not the Way to Begin an Evening

Last night was not one of my best nights.  Mainly it was compounded by one very sad annoying fact.  A woman who loved animals wouldn’t just take the hint to drive on and leave.  It would have eased and prevented an extra 40 minutes of suffering.

Let me start at the beginning, on my way home I rounded a bend on the highway and at the top of a hill there was a car on the side of the road with it’s 4 ways on.  At the last minute I saw the yearling lying in the middle of the road and swerved to avoid it.  I immediately pulled in in front of the car, grabbed flares out of the tool box lighting them up.  Some how in the process I burnt a shirt lighting them.  

While laying out flares for the deer it became quite clear to me how the night was going to end.  Broken spine, blood dripping from it’s snout and mouth.  The deer was trying to stand up but it’s rear legs wouldn’t move.  It was a bad situation for the deer.

I told the woman driver to go ahead and go home and I’ll take care of calling it in and reporting it.  She insisted on sticking around.  So the option of just dispatching the deer and moving it off the road is now out since I’ve got a witness who won’t be supportive.  I call Whitcom, inform them of the location and what’s happened, they attempt to connect me with WSP.  Every time they transfer the call, the call was lost.  I call Whitcom back, inform them the call was lost, and ask for the number for the WSP office handling the incident.  They tell me not to worry about it and just stay away from the deer.  I tell them again the deer is in the highway, alive, attempting to move, and needs to be dispatched.  He tells me to just wait for the officer.

I now begin the wait in the cold, the deer is obviously in a lot of pain and attempting to pull itself off the road whenever a semi rolls by.  It eventually pulls itself off the road and rolls down the embankment.  Wailing as it tumbles over.  Now that it’s off the road I kick the flares off the road.  The woman gets out of her car to ask what happened.  I tell her and suggest that she just go home.  She suggests that WSU could take the deer, I know that will never happen.

A firefighter rolls up on his way home.  He calls in and gets authorization from State Patrol to dispatch the deer.  At this point he comes back with his revolver and the woman decides now is the time to leave.  One of us got authorization from the state for what needed to have been done 35 minutes earlier.  He fires one shot hitting the deer in the head.

About 45 seconds later the WSP officer arrives.  The firefighter informs him he just dispatched the deer.  The cop is elated because he won’t have paperwork for discharging his service arm.  At about this point the deer starts groaning again and thrashing.  Now often animals will go into the death throws but this wasn’t just the twitch of the nervous system shutting down.  The firefighter had already put his weapon back in his vehicle.  The officer said, “I’ll go grab the shotgun.”  Without missing a beat I said, “Would you like me to save you the paperwork?”  His response was, “That would be great.  Need a flashlight?”

I walk down with my tac-lite and pull my XD.  I plug two at the base of it’s brain stem with the second making a obvious entrance wound.  Immediately it falls dead silent and only one leg continues to have a minor twitch.  At this point it’s been about 40 minutes since I arrived on the scene.  The deer has been removed from any pain that it did have and the whole way home I was nothing but pissed off because it took 40 minutes to get me permission from the state to do what was ethically best for the deer.

Had the woman left I would have just dropped the deer and pulled it off the road into the ditch.  From talking to the officer after, had the dispatcher given me the number I would have been authorized to dispatch the animal.

Thanks to this whole mess, I now have the Colfax State Patrol number in my wallet.  This is by no means how I wanted to end up shooting my first deer.  Doubly so since I got to listen to it suffer for 40 minutes.  40 minutes of suffering for the animal so someone could feel like they’re being a good Samaritan trying to save it.  

Blogging might be a bit light today and tomorrow.  I really wish I had just killed that deer on the spot.

SSCC #171 – Gulfport MI

Chauvin, 50, was employed by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department as
a school resource officer at North Woolmarket Elementary when he was
accused of having child pornography on his home computer in October
2009. Chauvin was a week or so from retiring after a 24-year career with
the sheriff’s department.

It’s annoying that this predator who roamed around among his prey only got 3 years in prison for what he did.  He damn well knew better.  Seriously this crap pisses me right the hell off and the rage meter is plumb maxed out.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 171: Mike Chauvin

Because when you’re a elementary resource officer, what the hell else would you do with your free time!?

Damn Those Fudds

Earlier last week an article was printed authored by a fudd who ended up being a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.  That fudd has been thoroughly beaten to death and it does nothing to beat a horse further after death.

However often there are times when I wish celebrities would keep their mouths shut.  That way they won’t put their foot in their own damn mouth.  Today was one of those days.

EngvallTweet1

It appears that Mr. Engvall is a fudd and doesn’t think people should own semi-automatic firearms.

EngvallTweet2

First of all, firearms are not only used for hunting but for other purposes as well.  These purposes range from competitive sports to self-defense.  Note at the end he claims to support the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment completely.

EngvallTweet3

Ahh, so now he believes in the rights of all firearms owners and just doesn’t care for the AK-47.  It appears though he has made that statement not with regards to full auto but semi-auto given his tweet to Michael stating he doesn’t need 60 bullets to shoot a deer.  While that is true, you may need two.  Depending on the game you’re hunting you may want 5 rounds immediately accessible to deal with a group of varmints.  Lastly what about the defense of your home and family.  We come back around to the variety of different purposes for a rifle.

His statement though hits harder and farther with me than most people.  For those who don’t know, The Minute Woman has radial nerve palsy
.  This limits the ability for her to lift and open her hand.  Given those limitations you can probably guess that for her to operate a bolt action rifle is a difficult exercise.  Doubly so given the multiple axes required to charge the weapon.  An AR-15, or any of my other semi-auto weapons she can handle and use with very limited effect from her disability.  With an AR-15 she can easily go hunting with me and shoot a follow up shot quickly and accurately.  Where as with a bolt action rifle the time and awkwardness of cycling the action makes a second shot almost impossible.  

My wife can enjoy hunting through the use of semi-automatic firearms.  A sport that Mr. Engvall likes and enjoys, but apparently he wishes those to enjoy it just like him, disregarding technology that makes the sport safer and more enjoyable.  Mr. Engvall I can hunt the muzzle-loader season, does that mean all modern cartridge firearms should be banned?  Or I could go even further and just hunt bow, should all firearms be banned then?

Mr. Engvall, you have provided ammunition to the enemy.  You have attacked the rights of fellow hunters and citizens, intended or not.  Lastly your statements and beliefs serve to remove many from the sport of hunting.  Given those three pieces of information it is obvious that statement was as idiotic as reaching down and grabbing a muffler after test driving a car.  Here’s your sign Fudd!

*It should be noted that he can redeem his position by realizing the contraindication in his statements and coming back to actually support the Second Amendment.  That will take more than words though, actual action will be required.

h/t Bitter

SSCC #143 – Round Two

Reader Jake posted a comment regarding a continuation of SSCC #143.  It appears that Grubbs has now kidnapped his victim.

A 16-year-old Bedford County girl who has been missing since Sunday
night might be with a former sheriff’s deputy charged with taking
indecent liberties with a child, state police said.

He was released after being charged on a $5,000 bond.  Given the loss of his job, the pending charges, and probable prison time this predator has gone from lurking in the shadows to all out dangerous.

I would also be reasonably sure that the judge issued a no contact order to Grubbs for the victim, yet again showing how pointless that little piece of paper is.  All it does is provide an extra charge to tack on after they zip up the body bag.  I hope in this case they find the young woman safe, but there is no question Grubbs was a rabid predator hiding amongst his prey.

Because being a former cop means life is easier when you’re brought before the bar.  No worries of high bail even with a large amount of evidence, which ensures you can get the hell out of dodge.