DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Sunday, March 04, 2018
Quote
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes." —Cesare Beccaria
Saturday, March 03, 2018
The First day of school
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. Youhave to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. Youhave to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
Mueller 'probing Trump's attempt to force Sessions out'
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating President Donald Trump for allegedly obstructing justice by trying to force Attorney General Jeff Sessions from his job, it was reported on Wednesday.
Mueller, who is investigating alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russiaduring the 2016 presidential campaign, has been interviewing witnesses in recent months over a series of tweets and statements made by Trump last summer about Sessions.
Both Trump and Russia have denied there was any collusion.
The special counsel is said to be trying to determine whether Trump wanted Sessions out so that he could appoint a replacement who would then try to interfere with the ongoing Russia probe.
News of Mueller’s line of inquiry was reported on Wednesday by The Washington Post.
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Mueller, who is investigating alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russiaduring the 2016 presidential campaign, has been interviewing witnesses in recent months over a series of tweets and statements made by Trump last summer about Sessions.
Both Trump and Russia have denied there was any collusion.
The special counsel is said to be trying to determine whether Trump wanted Sessions out so that he could appoint a replacement who would then try to interfere with the ongoing Russia probe.
News of Mueller’s line of inquiry was reported on Wednesday by The Washington Post.
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Photos show lives of early 1900s Alaskan Eskimos in Nome gold rush
These amazing photos document the lives of Alaska's Eskimos during one of North America's biggest ever gold rushes that brought first contact between natives and the outside world.
The natives of Nome, Alaska, were photographed between 1909 and 1932 by Henry and Alfred Lomen as thousands of Americans flocked north to make their fortunes.
The 'Three Lucky Swedes' found fields of easily-accessible gold and word soon got out about their discovery leading to the area's population booming by more than 350 per cent as people flocked in to share in its riches.
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The natives of Nome, Alaska, were photographed between 1909 and 1932 by Henry and Alfred Lomen as thousands of Americans flocked north to make their fortunes.
The 'Three Lucky Swedes' found fields of easily-accessible gold and word soon got out about their discovery leading to the area's population booming by more than 350 per cent as people flocked in to share in its riches.
More
Exec returns to Goldman after stint with ‘Government Sachs’
Goldman Sachs just rehired somebody back from “Government Sachs.”
Dina Powell, a Goldman alum who worked less than a year as an adviser to the Trump White House, is returning to the bank to work in government relations.
“Dina will focus on enhancing the firm’s relationships with sovereign clients around the world,” bank CEO Lloyd Blankfein wrote in a Feb. 27 letter to employees, according to Politico.
The moniker “Government Sachs” has referred to the fact that Goldman executives have consistently scored top-level jobs in Washington, such as former Treasury secretaries Robert Rubin and Hank Paulson, and Gary Cohn, who is currently head of Trump’s National Economic Council.
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Dina Powell, a Goldman alum who worked less than a year as an adviser to the Trump White House, is returning to the bank to work in government relations.
“Dina will focus on enhancing the firm’s relationships with sovereign clients around the world,” bank CEO Lloyd Blankfein wrote in a Feb. 27 letter to employees, according to Politico.
The moniker “Government Sachs” has referred to the fact that Goldman executives have consistently scored top-level jobs in Washington, such as former Treasury secretaries Robert Rubin and Hank Paulson, and Gary Cohn, who is currently head of Trump’s National Economic Council.
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A Great Big Warning Sign
Jerome Powell came out pretty hawkish in his public debut this week (albeit with some flip-flopping this morning). The new Federal Reserve chairman said he sees little risk of recession and reaffirmed plans to continue tightening the money supply through interest rate increases and quantitative tightening.
"My personal outlook for the economy has strengthened since December. I don’t see [the recession risks] as at all high at the moment.”
But there are signals that Powell’s optimism is unwarranted and that the monetary blanket knitted together with nearly a decade of easy money may be about to unravel. In fact, the deceleration in the growth of the money supply orchestrated by the Fed matches the trend just prior to the 2008 crash.
Mises Institute academic vice president, and Pace University professor of economics Joseph Salerno explains in an article originally published on the Mises Wire.
Jeffrey Peshut at RealForecasts.com has composed several very illuminating graphs based on the Rothbard-Salerno True Money Supply (TMS). In one graph Peshut shows the collapse of the growth rate of TMS beginning at the end of 2016, which was caused by the Fed beginning to raise the fed funds target rate at the end of the preceding year. What is of great interest is that the recent deceleration of monetary growth (the second red arrow) almost exactly matches in extent and rapidity the monetary deceleration (the first red arrow) that immediately preceded the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
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"My personal outlook for the economy has strengthened since December. I don’t see [the recession risks] as at all high at the moment.”
But there are signals that Powell’s optimism is unwarranted and that the monetary blanket knitted together with nearly a decade of easy money may be about to unravel. In fact, the deceleration in the growth of the money supply orchestrated by the Fed matches the trend just prior to the 2008 crash.
Mises Institute academic vice president, and Pace University professor of economics Joseph Salerno explains in an article originally published on the Mises Wire.
Jeffrey Peshut at RealForecasts.com has composed several very illuminating graphs based on the Rothbard-Salerno True Money Supply (TMS). In one graph Peshut shows the collapse of the growth rate of TMS beginning at the end of 2016, which was caused by the Fed beginning to raise the fed funds target rate at the end of the preceding year. What is of great interest is that the recent deceleration of monetary growth (the second red arrow) almost exactly matches in extent and rapidity the monetary deceleration (the first red arrow) that immediately preceded the financial crisis of 2007-2008.
More
DOJ Inaction Faulted In House Hack Case
In March 2017, FBI agents were tailing House of Representatives IT aides suspected of hacking Congress, and apprehended one at the airport trying to make a hasty exit to Pakistan. She refused to speak with them, and a search revealed that she was carrying an apparently illegal amount of cash.
The FBI allowed Hina Alvi, wife of Imran Awan, to board the plane anyway — then filed paperwork saying agents believed she had no intention of returning to the U.S.
For nearly a year since, the case has lingered despite the House Office of Inspector General (OIG) determining that the family of Pakistanis made “unauthorized access” to Congress’s data shortly before the election.
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The FBI allowed Hina Alvi, wife of Imran Awan, to board the plane anyway — then filed paperwork saying agents believed she had no intention of returning to the U.S.
For nearly a year since, the case has lingered despite the House Office of Inspector General (OIG) determining that the family of Pakistanis made “unauthorized access” to Congress’s data shortly before the election.
More
New Biotech Company, Viela Bio, Launches in Maryland
Spin-Out of MedImmune’s Autoimmunity and Inflammation Biologics Programs Will Continue Development of Potential Medicines
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Viela Bio, a newly-formed spin-out of MedImmune, one of Maryland’s largest life sciences companies and the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, today announced that it will locate in Gaithersburg, Md. and plans to create 100 new jobs within three to five years. The company will focus on advancing a number of potential autoimmune and inflammatory medicines from MedImmune’s biologics portfolio, making Viela Bio one of the leading biotech companies in Maryland.
“Viela Bio shows great potential, launching with a strong pipeline in inflammation and autoimmunity with the goal of providing important medicines to patients. We appreciate the state of Maryland’s commitment to our new company, and look forward to contributing to the state’s strong life sciences industry and helping to achieve their goal of becoming a top three biohealth cluster by 2023,” said Bing Yao, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Viela Bio.
“Promising startups like Viela Bio locating in Maryland reinforces our leadership in the life sciences industry and positions our state as a place where new companies can access the resources they need to ensure long-term success,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Viela Bio’s decision to open its headquarters in Gaithersburg also demonstrates MedImmune’s and AstraZeneca’s continued commitment to creating jobs in our state.”
“I am very excited that Viela Bio will take its place alongside the many successful biotech firms that call Montgomery County home,” said Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. “By pioneering critical advances in life sciences, these firms are easing suffering and saving lives – right here in America and around the world. They are doing well – and doing good.”
“We're thrilled that Viela Bio is establishing its headquarters in Maryland to take advantage of our thriving life sciences sector, our highly-educated workforce, and our proximity to many federal research labs and world-class universities,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “We are confident we will be able to work with more high-tech companies to help them start and grow in Maryland and become a leading bio-hub destination.”
“Viela Bio has made the right decision to launch in Montgomery County, in partnership with highly successful MedImmune and aligned with their mission,” said Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. CEO & President David Petr. “Our life sciences industry continues to demonstrate that we have the talent, physical assets, and legacy to contribute to important global health outcomes.”
To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $2 million conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF). Additionally, Montgomery County is providing a $750,000 conditional grant for project costs, including lab equipment. The company is also eligible for various tax credits, including the state’s Job Creation Tax Credit.
Viela Bio is among the first spin-outs to form in Maryland since the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board issued recommendations in April 2017 to help position the state as a globally-recognized Top 3 U.S. BioHealth Innovation Hub by 2023. The recommendations were framed around four key themes - assets, connectivity, capital, and talent, or ACCT Now.
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Viela Bio, a newly-formed spin-out of MedImmune, one of Maryland’s largest life sciences companies and the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, today announced that it will locate in Gaithersburg, Md. and plans to create 100 new jobs within three to five years. The company will focus on advancing a number of potential autoimmune and inflammatory medicines from MedImmune’s biologics portfolio, making Viela Bio one of the leading biotech companies in Maryland.
“Viela Bio shows great potential, launching with a strong pipeline in inflammation and autoimmunity with the goal of providing important medicines to patients. We appreciate the state of Maryland’s commitment to our new company, and look forward to contributing to the state’s strong life sciences industry and helping to achieve their goal of becoming a top three biohealth cluster by 2023,” said Bing Yao, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Viela Bio.
“Promising startups like Viela Bio locating in Maryland reinforces our leadership in the life sciences industry and positions our state as a place where new companies can access the resources they need to ensure long-term success,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Viela Bio’s decision to open its headquarters in Gaithersburg also demonstrates MedImmune’s and AstraZeneca’s continued commitment to creating jobs in our state.”
“I am very excited that Viela Bio will take its place alongside the many successful biotech firms that call Montgomery County home,” said Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. “By pioneering critical advances in life sciences, these firms are easing suffering and saving lives – right here in America and around the world. They are doing well – and doing good.”
“We're thrilled that Viela Bio is establishing its headquarters in Maryland to take advantage of our thriving life sciences sector, our highly-educated workforce, and our proximity to many federal research labs and world-class universities,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “We are confident we will be able to work with more high-tech companies to help them start and grow in Maryland and become a leading bio-hub destination.”
“Viela Bio has made the right decision to launch in Montgomery County, in partnership with highly successful MedImmune and aligned with their mission,” said Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. CEO & President David Petr. “Our life sciences industry continues to demonstrate that we have the talent, physical assets, and legacy to contribute to important global health outcomes.”
To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $2 million conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF). Additionally, Montgomery County is providing a $750,000 conditional grant for project costs, including lab equipment. The company is also eligible for various tax credits, including the state’s Job Creation Tax Credit.
Viela Bio is among the first spin-outs to form in Maryland since the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board issued recommendations in April 2017 to help position the state as a globally-recognized Top 3 U.S. BioHealth Innovation Hub by 2023. The recommendations were framed around four key themes - assets, connectivity, capital, and talent, or ACCT Now.
Inflation Is In The Rear-View Mirror
43 percent of credit card holders carry a balance. Delinquencies are rising. It's a deflationary debt trap.
Revolving Credit Hits New Record High
In December, revolving debt has topped the previous high-water mark of $1.021 trillion set in April of 2008. Debt as of December 2017 (the latest available) is $1.028 trillion.
Relationship Killer
In addition to student loans, credit card debt is another factor holding down home ownership and family formation. Studies show Credit Card Debt is a Relationship Killer.
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Revolving Credit Hits New Record High
In December, revolving debt has topped the previous high-water mark of $1.021 trillion set in April of 2008. Debt as of December 2017 (the latest available) is $1.028 trillion.
Relationship Killer
In addition to student loans, credit card debt is another factor holding down home ownership and family formation. Studies show Credit Card Debt is a Relationship Killer.
More
"There Aren't Votes For That" - GOP Senators Reject Trump's Gun-Control Proposal
President Donald Trump shocked his Republican allies in Congress on Wednesday when he said during a televised meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the White House Cabinet Room that lawmakers must support raising the age limit and confiscating guns from people deemed mentally ill, along with a host of other gun-control measures that would be anathema to most Republicans.
During the meeting, Trump said he supports a Democratic proposal to use the Toomey-Manchin gun control proposal as a base bill and build on top of it. Meanwhile, lawmakers should consider a sweeping expansion of concealed-carry protections as part of a separate package. He also said an assault-weapons ban should be considered, to the visible delight of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, according to the Hill.
During the meeting, Trump said "it doesn't make sense" that an 18-year-old can buy an assault rifle capable of killing dozens, but must wait until they're 21 to purchase a hand gun.
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During the meeting, Trump said he supports a Democratic proposal to use the Toomey-Manchin gun control proposal as a base bill and build on top of it. Meanwhile, lawmakers should consider a sweeping expansion of concealed-carry protections as part of a separate package. He also said an assault-weapons ban should be considered, to the visible delight of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, according to the Hill.
During the meeting, Trump said "it doesn't make sense" that an 18-year-old can buy an assault rifle capable of killing dozens, but must wait until they're 21 to purchase a hand gun.
More
Pelosi Attacks Trump Over Arrest of 'Law-Abiding' Illegal Aliens
A “shocking abuse of law enforcement power”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Wednesday attacking the Trump administration over raids on over 150 illegal aliens in Northern California, calling it a “shocking abuse of law enforcement power.”
“Yet again, the White House has reached into our communities to indiscriminately detain scores of hard-working, law-abiding immigrants.” Pelosi wrote, despite the fact that she admitted that half of those swept up have criminal records, and all of them are in the US illegally.
28 Feb
Nancy Pelosi
✔@NancyPelosi
Trump Admin raids in the San Francisco Bay Area were a shocking abuse of law enforcement power which solely served to terrorize innocent immigrant families.
Nancy Pelosi
✔@NancyPelosi
Fully half of those swept up in the ICE raids have no criminal record. Tearing parents away from children & spouses away from loved ones – it’s clear the intent of this sweep was not to keep Americans safe. Read my full statement: https://goo.gl/3saiqr
12:50 PM - Feb 28, 2018
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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Wednesday attacking the Trump administration over raids on over 150 illegal aliens in Northern California, calling it a “shocking abuse of law enforcement power.”
“Yet again, the White House has reached into our communities to indiscriminately detain scores of hard-working, law-abiding immigrants.” Pelosi wrote, despite the fact that she admitted that half of those swept up have criminal records, and all of them are in the US illegally.
28 Feb
Nancy Pelosi✔@NancyPelosi
Trump Admin raids in the San Francisco Bay Area were a shocking abuse of law enforcement power which solely served to terrorize innocent immigrant families.
Nancy Pelosi✔@NancyPelosi
Fully half of those swept up in the ICE raids have no criminal record. Tearing parents away from children & spouses away from loved ones – it’s clear the intent of this sweep was not to keep Americans safe. Read my full statement: https://goo.gl/3saiqr
12:50 PM - Feb 28, 2018
More
Trump blasts Sessions for independent watchdog probe
Attorney General stood up to President Trump in an extraordinary response to his boss after the president ripped him online for having an independent internal watchdog review alleged warrant abuse.
Sessions, who has been on the receiving end of multiple presidential online shots throughout his turbulent tenure, defended his own 'integrity and honor' in the face of Trump's attack.
'We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary,' Sessions said in a statement.
Then the former Alabama senator added: ‘As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and the Constitution.'
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Sessions, who has been on the receiving end of multiple presidential online shots throughout his turbulent tenure, defended his own 'integrity and honor' in the face of Trump's attack.
'We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary,' Sessions said in a statement.
Then the former Alabama senator added: ‘As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and the Constitution.'
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U.S. monthly inflation picks up; jobless claims at 48-year low
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer prices increased in January, with a gauge of underlying inflation posting its largest gain in 12 months, bolstering views that price pressures will accelerate this year.
Those expectations were underscored by other data on Thursday showing the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to a 48-year low as the labor market tightens. Another a survey showed prices paid by manufacturers for raw materials hit a more than six-year high in February.
The combination of rising inflation and a robust labor market could force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates a bit more aggressively this year than currently anticipated as it worries about the economy overheating. The U.S. central bank has forecast three rate hikes in 2018. The first rate increase is expected later this month.
“The Fed wanted to see more inflation and it looks like it is getting it,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.“I am down for four (rate hikes) because the acceleration in inflation is not likely to fade anytime soon.”
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Those expectations were underscored by other data on Thursday showing the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to a 48-year low as the labor market tightens. Another a survey showed prices paid by manufacturers for raw materials hit a more than six-year high in February.
The combination of rising inflation and a robust labor market could force the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates a bit more aggressively this year than currently anticipated as it worries about the economy overheating. The U.S. central bank has forecast three rate hikes in 2018. The first rate increase is expected later this month.
“The Fed wanted to see more inflation and it looks like it is getting it,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.“I am down for four (rate hikes) because the acceleration in inflation is not likely to fade anytime soon.”
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In Defense of the Right
The Ash Wednesday massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, seems to have broken more hearts than similar tragedies that preceded it. It was no more senseless than other American school shootings, but there is something about the innocence and bravery and eloquence of the youthful survivors that has touched the souls of Americans deeply.
After burying their dead, the survivors have mobilized into a mighty political force that loosely seeks more laws to regulate the right to keep and bear arms. The young people, traumatized and terrified with memories of unspeakable horror that will not fade, somehow think that a person bent on murder will obey gun laws.
Every time I watch these beautiful young people, I wince, because in their understandable sadness is the potential for madness — “madness” being defined as the passionate and stubborn refusal to accept reason. This often happens after tragedy. After watching the government railroad Abraham Lincoln’s killer’s conspirators — and even some folks who had nothing to do with the assassination — the poet Herman Melville wrote: “Beware the People weeping. When they bare the iron hand.”
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After burying their dead, the survivors have mobilized into a mighty political force that loosely seeks more laws to regulate the right to keep and bear arms. The young people, traumatized and terrified with memories of unspeakable horror that will not fade, somehow think that a person bent on murder will obey gun laws.
Every time I watch these beautiful young people, I wince, because in their understandable sadness is the potential for madness — “madness” being defined as the passionate and stubborn refusal to accept reason. This often happens after tragedy. After watching the government railroad Abraham Lincoln’s killer’s conspirators — and even some folks who had nothing to do with the assassination — the poet Herman Melville wrote: “Beware the People weeping. When they bare the iron hand.”
More
Nolte: I Bought a Gun on a Lark... Then I Needed It
The first firearm I purchased was just because. The year was 1993. I was young, had money burning in my pocket, and my buddy needed cash. And so, for a couple hundred bucks I owned a 9MM handgun, which immediately went under the bed, mostly forgotten, a totem to my spendthrift ways.
Another 15 years would pass before that investment paid off.
When we moved to Los Angeles in 2003, the gun came with me, and I again slipped it under the bed because that is where it had always been. Five more years passed.
I don’t want to say that our Los Angeles neighborhood changed, because I don’t know that for a fact. Maybe our luck changed. All I know is that things went to hell pretty quickly.
I worked out of the house. My wife commuted. It was February, so it was dark when she got home. One night, before she had even taken off her coat, we heard gunshots followed by a car crash. Trust me, only in movies do people confuse a car backfiring with gunshots.
I’ll never forget the conversation with 9-1-1.
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Another 15 years would pass before that investment paid off.
When we moved to Los Angeles in 2003, the gun came with me, and I again slipped it under the bed because that is where it had always been. Five more years passed.
I don’t want to say that our Los Angeles neighborhood changed, because I don’t know that for a fact. Maybe our luck changed. All I know is that things went to hell pretty quickly.
I worked out of the house. My wife commuted. It was February, so it was dark when she got home. One night, before she had even taken off her coat, we heard gunshots followed by a car crash. Trust me, only in movies do people confuse a car backfiring with gunshots.
I’ll never forget the conversation with 9-1-1.
More
Another Texas School District Arms Employees to 'Protect Our Children'
A rural school district joined nearly 200 other Texas school districts in arming their employees to protect students under a “Guardian” program.
On Monday, the Fayetteville Independent School District announced its new safety plan. Signs went up that read: “Please be aware that the staff at Fayetteville ISD may be armed and will use whatever force is necessary to protect our children.”
The school district, which claims less than 250 enrolled students, houses all grades K-12 on one campus. Fayetteville is situated almost halfway between Austin and Houston and is so tiny it does not have a local police force, only a county sheriff. It also does not employ school resource officers.
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On Monday, the Fayetteville Independent School District announced its new safety plan. Signs went up that read: “Please be aware that the staff at Fayetteville ISD may be armed and will use whatever force is necessary to protect our children.”
The school district, which claims less than 250 enrolled students, houses all grades K-12 on one campus. Fayetteville is situated almost halfway between Austin and Houston and is so tiny it does not have a local police force, only a county sheriff. It also does not employ school resource officers.
More
'BEAUTIFUL BROTHER': Farrakhan praises DNC leader Keith Ellison
Nation of Islam leader Rev. Louis Farrakhan praised — called out — Democratic National Committee Deputy Chairman Keith Ellison at his Saviors’ Day 2018 Address on Sunday during a racist screed in which he also proclaimed “the powerful Jews are my enemy,” and “white folks are going down.”
Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, admitted to working for the Nation of Islam for over a year to help with the 1995 Million Man March, but has repeatedly promised the public he cut ties with the hate group since he was elected to represent Minnesota’s 5th district in 2006.
More/Video
Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, admitted to working for the Nation of Islam for over a year to help with the 1995 Million Man March, but has repeatedly promised the public he cut ties with the hate group since he was elected to represent Minnesota’s 5th district in 2006.
More/Video
Thought for the Day
"Interesting fact: Planned Parenthood has killed 330,000 more children than the NRA in the past year." —Matt Walsh
The disturbing acceptance of Google's new 'smart' camera
In the reviews that rolled out recently for Google's new Clips smart camera, there were the rote things that you'd expect in all tech reviews: what was good, what was bad, and, inevitably, whether or not you should buy it. There was, however, a key idea conspicuously absent: whether or not the product should exist at all.
The pitch for the Google Clips is it's a camera that sits off to the side in a room and automatically captures the kinds of candid shots that one never really plans for — the most common examples cited being some random happening involving one's kids or pets. Instead of mere serendipity, however, the camera uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to try and guess when to best take a shot.
Reviews, perhaps unsurprisingly, haven't been great. The technology to take pictures in a smart way with satisfying results simply doesn't exist yet, largely because determining what makes a good shot is still a profoundly human, subjective thing. But perhaps a product with such obvious flaws is cause for concern for reasons more significant than the release of yet another disappointing gadget. Instead, it appears that in rarely questioning whether a piece of tech should have been released at all, we are unwittingly become guinea pigs for tech, and inadvertent cheerleaders for things that, in the aggregate, end up making things worse.
What's the point then? In part, to position Google as an innovative, even family-friend company. But it's also to test out the concept, gather data, and help perfect the idea of a "smart camera" for broader applications. It's thus worth questioning what gets carried along in the cutesy design and marketing of a product like Clips. Cameras powered by artificial intelligence will inevitably be used to superpower surveillance.
More here
The pitch for the Google Clips is it's a camera that sits off to the side in a room and automatically captures the kinds of candid shots that one never really plans for — the most common examples cited being some random happening involving one's kids or pets. Instead of mere serendipity, however, the camera uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to try and guess when to best take a shot.
Reviews, perhaps unsurprisingly, haven't been great. The technology to take pictures in a smart way with satisfying results simply doesn't exist yet, largely because determining what makes a good shot is still a profoundly human, subjective thing. But perhaps a product with such obvious flaws is cause for concern for reasons more significant than the release of yet another disappointing gadget. Instead, it appears that in rarely questioning whether a piece of tech should have been released at all, we are unwittingly become guinea pigs for tech, and inadvertent cheerleaders for things that, in the aggregate, end up making things worse.
What's the point then? In part, to position Google as an innovative, even family-friend company. But it's also to test out the concept, gather data, and help perfect the idea of a "smart camera" for broader applications. It's thus worth questioning what gets carried along in the cutesy design and marketing of a product like Clips. Cameras powered by artificial intelligence will inevitably be used to superpower surveillance.
More here
Gingrich: Trump has just delivered two brilliant political surprises
Both these moves are a reminder of how intuitive and strategic Donald J. Trump is. These qualities are a big part of why he was elected to be our 45th president.
Why are this week’s announcements so important?
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